Original Poem：
Father:
On these occasions, the feelings surprise,
Spontaneous as rain, and they compel
Explicitness, embarrassed eyes——
Son:
Father, you’re not Polonius, you’re reticent,
But sure. I can already tell
The unction and falsetto of the sentiment
Which gratifies the facile mouth, but springs
From no felt, had, and wholly known things.
Father:
You must let me tell you what you fear
When you wake up from sleep, still drunk with sleep:
You are afraid of time and its slow drip,
Like melting ice, like smoke upon the air
In February’s glittering sunny day.
Your guilt is nameless, because its name is time,
Because its name is death. But you can stop
Time as it dribbles from you, drop by drop.
Son:
But I thought time was full of promises,
Even as now, the emotion of going away——
Father:
That is the first of all its menaces,
The lure of a future different from today;
All of us always are turning away
To the cinema and Asia. All of us go
To one indeterminate nothing.
Son:
Must it be so?
I question the sentiment you give to me,
As premature, not to be given, learned alone
When experience shrinks upon the chilling bone.
I would be sudden now and rash in joy,
As if I lived forever, the future my toy.
Time is a dancing fire at twenty-one,
Singing and shouting and drinking to the sun,
Powerful at the wheel of a motor-car,
Not thinking of death which is foreign and far.
Father:
If time flowed from your will and were a feast
I would be wrong to question your zest.
But each age betrays the same weak shape.
Each moment is dying. You will try to escape
From melting time and your dissipating soul
By hiding your head in a warm and dark hole.
See the evasions which so many don,
To flee the guilt of time they become one,
That is, the one number among masses,
The one anonymous in the audience,
The one expressionless in the subway,
In the subway evening among so many faces,
The one who reads the daily newspaper,
Separate from actor and act, a member
Of public opinion, never involved.
Integrated in the revery of a fine cigar,
Fleeing to childhood at the symphony concert,
Buying sleep at the drugstore, grandeur
At the band concert, Hawaii
On the screen, and everywhere a specious splendor:
One, when he is sad, has something to eat,
An ice cream soda, a toasted sandwich,
Or has his teeth fixed, but can always retreat
From the actual pain, and dream of the rich.
This is what one does, what one becomes
Because one is afraid to be alone,
Each with his own death in the lonely room.
But there is a stay. You can stop
Time as it dribbles from you, drop by drop.
Son:
Now I am afraid. What is there to be known?
Father:
Guilt, guilt of time, nameless guilt.
Grasp firmly your fear, thus grasping your self,
Your actual will. Stand in mastery,
Keeping time in you, its terrifying mystery.
Face yourself, constantly go back
To what you were, your own history.
You are always in debt. Do not forget
The dream postponed which would not quickly get
Pleasure immediate as drink, but takes
The travail of building, patience with means.
See the wart on your face and on your friend’s face,
On your friend’s face and indeed on your own face.
The loveliest woman sweats, the animal stains
The ideal which is with us like the sky ...
Son:
Because of that, some laugh, and others cry.
Father:
Do not look past and turn away your face.
You cannot depart and take another name,
Nor go to sleep with lies. Always the same,
Always the same self from the ashes of sleep
Returns with its memories, always, always,
The phoenix with eight hundred thousand memories!
Son:
What must I do that is most difficult?
Father:
You must meet your death face to face,
You must, like one in an old play,
Decide, once for all, your heart’s place.
Love, power, and fame stand on an absolute
Under the formless night and the brilliant day,
The searching violin, the piercing flute.
Absolute! Venus and Caesar fade at that edge,
Hanging from the fiftieth-story ledge,
Or diminished in bed when the nurse presses
Her sickening unguents and her cold compresses.
When the news is certain, surpassing fear,
You touch the wound, the priceless, the most dear.
There in death’s shadow, you comprehend
The irreducible wish, world without end.
Son:
I begin to understand the reason for evasion,
I cannot partake of your difficult vision.
Father:
Begin to understand the first decision.
Hamlet is the example; only dying
Did he take up his manhood, the dead’s burden,
Done with evasion, done with sighing,
Done with revery.
Decide that you are dying
Because time is in you, ineluctable
As shadow, named by no syllable.
Act in that shadow, as if death were now:
Your own self acts then, then you know.
Son:
My father has taught me to be serious.
Father:
Be guilty of yourself in the full looking-glass.
Analysis and Interpretation of the Poem
This profound dialogue between a father and son explores the complex relationship between time, mortality, and human consciousness. The father attempts to impart a solemn truth about the inevitability of death and the relentless passage of time, which the son initially resists, embodying youthful optimism and denial. The poem is structured as a conversation, highlighting contrasting perspectives: the father’s wisdom and acceptance of mortality versus the son’s youthful defiance and hope.
The father describes time as a slow, melting, and fading force, akin to ice melting or smoke dissipating in the air, symbolizing the gradual loss of life and opportunities. He emphasizes the "nameless guilt" tied to time and death, suggesting an existential burden that all humans carry but often avoid confronting. The son, in contrast, sees time as full of promise and vitality, a "dancing fire" at the age of twenty-one, representing youth’s energy and denial of death.
The poem also touches on the ways people evade the reality of time and death—through distractions, conformity, and superficial pleasures like entertainment, food, or nostalgia. The father warns against these evasions, encouraging the son to face his fears and take responsibility for his life and mortality. The poem’s allusion to Hamlet reinforces the theme of confronting death and the human condition directly.
Ultimately, the father urges the son to embrace the reality of death as a means of truly living and finding meaning, suggesting that only by accepting mortality can one achieve mastery over time and self.
Background and Author Introduction
This poem is a modern reflection on classical themes of life, death, and the passage of time, reminiscent of existential and philosophical poetry. The dialogue format and references to Hamlet indicate the author’s engagement with literary tradition and human psychology.
The author, though unnamed here, is likely a poet deeply interested in existential themes and the human condition, drawing on classical literature and modern sensibilities. The poem’s tone and structure suggest a 20th-century or contemporary origin, where dialogue poetry is used to explore inner conflicts and philosophical ideas.
Reflections and Insights
Reading this poem encourages us to reflect on our own attitudes toward time and mortality. It challenges the reader to move beyond superficial distractions and face the deeper truths of existence. The poem’s father-son dialogue mirrors the universal experience of generational wisdom and youthful resistance.
For many, this poem may evoke a sense of urgency to live meaningfully and authentically, recognizing that time is limited and that denial only delays the inevitable confrontation with death. It also highlights the importance of self-awareness and responsibility.
Lessons and Applications for Children and Students
From this poem, children and students can learn several important lessons:
- Understanding the passage of time: Time is precious and irreversible, which encourages careful use of it.
- Facing fears and responsibilities: Avoiding difficult truths can lead to emptiness, while confronting them builds maturity.
- The contrast between youth and wisdom: Youth often sees infinite possibilities, but wisdom recognizes limits and deeper meaning.
- The value of self-reflection: Knowing oneself and one’s history is crucial for growth and decision-making.
In everyday life, these lessons can help students manage procrastination, appreciate the present moment, and develop resilience in the face of challenges. In learning environments, the poem encourages critical thinking about abstract concepts like time, death, and personal growth.
Key Vocabulary and Concepts
- Reticent: Reserved or reluctant to speak.
- Unction: Excessive or insincere earnestness.
- Nameless guilt: A vague, undefined feeling of responsibility or remorse.
- Evasion: Avoidance or escape from reality or responsibility.
- Ineluctable: Impossible to avoid or escape.
- Revery (reverie): A state of dreamy meditation or fanciful musing.
- Absolute: Something that is universally valid or unconditional.
Reading Comprehension Questions
- What is the main theme discussed between the father and son in the poem?
- How does the son initially view time, and how does this differ from the father’s perspective?
- What are some ways the poem suggests people try to avoid facing the reality of time and death?
- Why does the father mention Hamlet in the poem?
- What does the father mean by "Be guilty of yourself in the full looking-glass"?
- How can understanding this poem help young people in their daily lives?
Answers
- The main theme is the inevitability of time and death and the importance of facing these realities honestly.
- The son sees time as full of promise and vitality, while the father views it as a slow, inevitable decline toward death.
- People avoid reality by distracting themselves with entertainment, food, nostalgia, and conformity, becoming anonymous and detached.
- Hamlet is used as an example of someone who accepts death and manhood by facing mortality directly, ending evasion.
- It means to take full responsibility for oneself, to confront one’s true nature and fears honestly without denial.
- It can teach young people to appreciate time, face fears, and live with greater awareness and responsibility.
