Calmly We Walk through This April’s Day By Delmore Schwartz - Giggle Poems

Original Poem：

Calmly we walk through this April’s day,
Metropolitan poetry here and there,
In the park sit pauper and
rentier
,
The screaming children, the motor-car
Fugitive about us, running away,
Between the worker and the millionaire
Number provides all distances,
It is Nineteen Thirty-Seven now,
Many great dears are taken away,
What will become of you and me
(This is the school in which we learn ...)
Besides the photo and the memory?
(... that time is the fire in which we burn.)
(This is the school in which we learn ...)
What is the self amid this blaze?
What am I now that I was then
Which I shall suffer and act again,
The theodicy I wrote in my high school days
Restored all life from infancy,
The children shouting are bright as they run
(This is the school in which they learn ...)
Ravished entirely in their passing play!
(... that time is the fire in which they burn.)
Avid its rush, that reeling blaze!
Where is my father and Eleanor?
Not where are they now, dead seven years,
But what they were then?
No more? No more?
From Nineteen-Fourteen to the present day,
Bert Spira and Rhoda consume, consume
Not where they are now (where are they now?)
But what they were then, both beautiful;
Each minute bursts in the burning room,
The great globe reels in the solar fire,
Spinning the trivial and unique away.
(How all things flash! How all things flare!)
What am I now that I was then?
May memory restore again and again
The smallest color of the smallest day:
Time is the school in which we learn,
Time is the fire in which we burn.

Analysis and Interpretation of the Poem

This poem presents a reflective journey through time and memory, using the metaphor of a day in April to explore the passage of life, social contrasts, and the impact of history on personal identity. The poem is set in 1937, a year marked by political tensions and personal losses, which the poet uses to question what remains of people after time passes — not just their physical presence but their essence and memory.

The central theme revolves around the idea that time is both a teacher and a consuming force. The repeated lines, "This is the school in which we learn" and "Time is the fire in which we burn," emphasize that life’s experiences, joys, and sufferings are lessons we endure and from which we grow. The poem contrasts the innocence and vibrancy of children with the harsh realities of adults, between workers and millionaires, and between the living and those who have passed away.

The poet wrestles with identity and change, asking “What am I now that I was then?” This reflects a deep meditation on how memory shapes who we are, how the past is never truly gone but lives on in our recollections and emotions. The poem also touches on loss and remembrance, mentioning figures like the father and Eleanor, and friends Bert Spira and Rhoda, highlighting the human desire to hold onto the past and the pain of losing loved ones.

Background and Author Introduction

This poem was written in the context of the late 1930s, a period of great social and political upheaval worldwide, including the lead-up to World War II. The year 1937 specifically saw many conflicts and changes that affected millions of lives, which the poem subtly references through its historical markers.

The author, though not named here, is likely a poet deeply influenced by modernist themes — exploring time, memory, and social contrasts through vivid imagery and introspective questioning. Such poets often used their work to process personal grief and societal turmoil, blending the personal with the universal.

Educational Value and Learning Points for Students

Students can learn several important lessons from this poem:

• Understanding Metaphors and Symbolism: The poem uses metaphors like "time is the school" and "time is the fire" to convey complex ideas about life and learning. Recognizing these helps students appreciate poetic devices.
• Historical and Social Context: The poem provides a window into the 1930s, encouraging students to explore history and its impact on literature.
• Reflection on Identity and Memory: Students can relate to the poem’s questions about how people change over time and how memories shape identity.
• Vocabulary and Language Skills: The poem introduces words like "rentier," "theodicy," and "reeling blaze," expanding students’ vocabulary.
• Emotional Intelligence: The poem’s themes of loss, remembrance, and the passage of time help develop empathy and emotional understanding.

Practical Applications in Life and Learning

• Personal Reflection: Students can use the poem as a prompt to write about their own memories and how they have changed over time.
• History Lessons: Teachers can connect the poem to lessons about the 1930s, the Great Depression, and pre-WWII tensions.
• Creative Writing: The poem’s structure and themes inspire students to create their own poems or essays about time and memory.
• Discussion of Social Inequality: The poem contrasts workers and millionaires, opening discussions about social classes and economic disparities.

Reading Comprehension Questions

1. What is the significance of the year 1937 in the poem?
2. How does the poet describe the relationship between time and learning?
3. Who are Bert Spira and Rhoda, and what do they represent in the poem?
4. What does the poet mean by asking, "What am I now that I was then?"
5. How does the poem use children as a symbol?
6. Explain the metaphor "time is the fire in which we burn."
7. What social contrasts are presented in the poem?
8. How does memory function in the poem?

Answers to Reading Comprehension Questions

1. The year 1937 symbolizes a time of social and political tension, as well as personal loss, marking the historical backdrop of the poem.
2. The poet suggests that time is a school where we learn through experiences, and also a fire that consumes us, indicating both growth and suffering.
3. Bert Spira and Rhoda are likely friends or loved ones who have passed away; they represent the beauty and vitality of the past preserved in memory.
4. The question reflects the poet’s contemplation of identity and how a person changes over time through experiences and memories.
5. Children symbolize innocence, vitality, and the ongoing process of learning and living in the present moment.
6. The metaphor means that time both teaches us and destroys us, emphasizing its dual role as a force of growth and destruction.
7. The poem contrasts workers and millionaires, paupers and rentiers, highlighting social and economic inequalities.
8. Memory serves as a way to preserve the past, restore lost moments, and maintain connections with those who are gone.

This poem is a profound exploration of time, memory, identity, and social reality, offering rich material for students to analyze and reflect upon both intellectually and emotionally.