Original Poem：
Father, this year’s jinx rides us apart
where you followed our mother to her cold slumber;
a second shock boiling its stone to your heart,
leaving me here to shuffle and disencumber
you from the residence you could not afford:
a gold key, your half of a woolen mill,
twenty suits from Dunne’s, an English Ford,
the love and legal verbiage of another will,
boxes of pictures of people I do not know.
I touch their cardboard faces. They must go.
But the eyes, as thick as wood in this album,
hold me. I stop here, where a small boy
waits in a ruffled dress for someone to come ...
for this soldier who holds his bugle like a toy
or for this velvet lady who cannot smile.
Is this your father’s father, this commodore
in a mailman suit? My father, time meanwhile
has made it unimportant who you are looking for.
I’ll never know what these faces are all about.
I lock them into their book and throw them out.
This is the yellow scrapbook that you began
the year I was born; as crackling now and wrinkly
as tobacco leaves: clippings where Hoover outran
the Democrats, wiggling his dry finger at me
and Prohibition; news where the
Hindenburg
went
down and recent years where you went flush
on war. This year, solvent but sick, you meant
to marry that pretty widow in a one-month rush.
But before you had that second chance, I cried
on your fat shoulder. Three days later you died.
These are the snapshots of marriage, stopped in places.
Side by side at the rail toward Nassau now;
here, with the winner’s cup at the speedboat races,
here, in tails at the Cotillion, you take a bow,
here, by our kennel of dogs with their pink eyes,
running like show-bred pigs in their chain-link pen;
here, at the horseshow where my sister wins a prize;
and here, standing like a duke among groups of men.
Now I fold you down, my drunkard, my navigator,
my first lost keeper, to love or look at later.
I hold a five-year diary that my mother kept
for three years, telling all she does not say
of your alcoholic tendency. You overslept,
she writes. My God, father, each Christmas Day
with your blood, will I drink down your glass
of wine? The diary of your hurly-burly years
goes to my shelf to wait for my age to pass.
Only in this hoarded span will love persevere.
Whether you are pretty or not, I outlive you,
bend down my strange face to yours and forgive you.
Analysis and Interpretation of the Poem
This poignant poem explores the complex emotions surrounding the death of the speaker’s father and the aftermath of loss within a family. The poem opens with the image of separation caused by death, as the father follows the mother into "her cold slumber," a metaphor for passing away. The speaker is left to manage the physical and emotional remnants of their father's life, including possessions and memories that are both tangible and intangible.
The poem is rich with symbolism and imagery: the "gold key," "twenty suits," and "English Ford" represent the father's material legacy, while the "boxes of pictures" symbolize the fragmented and often confusing nature of family history. The speaker’s interaction with these photographs shows a struggle to connect with the past and understand identity, yet also a desire to let go and move forward.
The poem also touches on the father’s personal struggles, notably his alcoholism, revealed through a diary kept by the mother. This diary is a silent witness to the family’s pain and the father's flaws, adding layers of complexity to the speaker’s feelings of love and forgiveness. The poem ends with a powerful act of reconciliation, as the speaker chooses to forgive the father despite his imperfections, illustrating the endurance of love beyond death and hardship.
Background and Author Introduction
This poem is often attributed to a 20th-century poet who delves deeply into themes of family, loss, and memory. The author’s work frequently reflects on personal history and the passage of time, using intimate detail to evoke universal emotions. The poem likely draws from the author’s own experiences or observations of familial relationships marked by love, pain, and reconciliation.
The historical references within the poem, such as Hoover’s political career, Prohibition, and the Hindenburg disaster, place the narrative in the early to mid-20th century, providing a socio-political backdrop that enriches the personal story. This context helps readers understand the era's challenges and the father's life circumstances.
Reflections and Personal Response
Reading this poem invites a deep emotional response. It confronts the reader with the realities of loss, the burden of memory, and the complexity of forgiving those we love despite their flaws. The speaker’s honest portrayal of grief and acceptance resonates widely, reminding us that family bonds are intricate and enduring.
The poem also encourages reflection on how we preserve memories and legacies, whether through photographs, diaries, or stories. It highlights the importance of acknowledging both the good and difficult aspects of our loved ones, fostering empathy and understanding.
Educational Value and Learning Points
For children and students, this poem offers several valuable lessons:
- Understanding Grief and Loss: The poem provides a sensitive exploration of mourning, helping young readers recognize and articulate feelings related to death and separation.
- Family History and Identity: It encourages curiosity about family roots and the stories behind photographs and heirlooms.
- Complexity of Human Nature: The poem teaches that people are multifaceted, with strengths and weaknesses, and that forgiveness is a vital part of relationships.
- Historical Awareness: References to historical events can spark interest in learning about the early 20th century’s social and political climate.
- Literary Devices: Students can study the use of metaphor, imagery, and narrative voice to deepen their appreciation of poetry.
In practical life and learning scenarios, this poem can be used in lessons about emotional intelligence, history, and creative writing. It also serves as a springboard for discussions about coping mechanisms and the importance of empathy in family dynamics.
Reading Comprehension Exercises
- What event separates the speaker from their father in the poem?
- List three items mentioned that belonged to the father.
- How does the speaker feel about the photographs in the scrapbook?
- What personal struggle of the father is revealed in the mother’s diary?
- How does the poem end in terms of the speaker’s feelings toward the father?
- Which historical events are referenced in the poem?
- What does the "yellow scrapbook" symbolize in the poem?
- Why does the speaker say they will never know what the faces in the photos are about?
- How does the poem portray the relationship between love and forgiveness?
- What lessons can students learn from this poem about family and memory?
Answer Key
- The father’s death separates the speaker from him.
- A gold key, twenty suits from Dunne’s, and an English Ford.
- The speaker feels both connected and detached; the eyes in the photos hold their attention, but the faces are ultimately unknown and must be let go.
- The father’s struggle with alcoholism is revealed.
- The poem ends with the speaker forgiving the father and expressing enduring love despite imperfections.
- The poem references Hoover outrunning the Democrats, Prohibition, and the Hindenburg disaster.
- The yellow scrapbook symbolizes memory, history, and the passage of time.
- Because time has made it unimportant who the people in the photos are looking for, and the speaker lacks knowledge about them.
- The poem shows that love can endure beyond death and hardship through forgiveness.
- Students can learn about grief, family history, empathy, and the complexity of human relationships.
