Before this scarf was faded,
What hours of mirth it knew;
How gayly it paraded
From smiling eyes to view.
The days were tinged with glory,
The nights too quickly sped,
And life was like a story
Where all the people wed.
Before this rosebud wilted,
How passionately sweet
The wild waltz smelled and lilted
In time for flying feet;
How loud the bassoons muttered,
The horns grew madly shrill,
And oh! the vows lips uttered
That hearts could not fulfill.
Before this fan was broken,
Behind its lace and pearl
What whispered words were spoken,
What hearts were in a whirl;
What homesteads were selected
In Fancy's realm of Spain,
What castles were erected
Without a room for pain.
When this odd glove was mated,
How thrilling seemed the play;
Maybe our hearts are sated—
We tire so soon to-day.
O, thrust away these treasures,
They speak the dreary truth;
We have outgrown the pleasures
And keen delights of youth.
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Comments
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I like how Wilcox ties in events with objects. My favorite is the fan, especially the the third and fourth lines. This is not an overwhelming poem, nor is it written to puzzle the reader. Instead, the emotions lay bare and the reader merely follows along. The word choices are such that the reader may find herself traveling a memory landscape of her own. The fan image made me think of the Victorians and their prized collection of fans. There was a whole language of fans that was developed in many cultures in which fans were used. I am also thinking of the Japanese usage of fans.
Um...I think I will (thanks to this poem) do more research about fans.
What did surprise me was the ending of this poem. I thought Wilcox would leave the reader pining for the old memories, but instead, the tone becomes a command, and Wilcox orders, "thrust away these treasures,/They speak the dreary truth;/We have outgrown the pleasures /And keen delights of youth."
Wow. Ever throw away love letters? Ever read accounts where objects and personal correspondence were burned (example-Martha Washington burned all of the letters that George Washington [first president of the U.S.] send her). Ever get so mad that you felt like tossing your wedding band over a bridge? These lines are powerful. I think the closing saves the poems from becoming Hallmark card sap. It reflects a level of truth that is not often revealed in older poetry. -
Author's memories are ignited when he goes through an old drawer filled with momentos. This happened to me the other day. Definitely a bitter-sweet experience.
Jennifer
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