[1107] Separation

Your absence has gone through me
Like thread through a needle.
Everything I do is stitched with its color.

  	-- W.S. Merwin

A startling, compelling poem - note the inversion of the usual 'your absence
has left a hole in me' imagery. The idea of a 'positive' absence is unusual,
but it has a definite *rightness* to it, which Merwin captures brilliantly in
his metaphor.

This is one of those poems about which one could quibble endlessly, wondering
what exactly makes it a 'poem'. That's a thorny enough area, though, that to
hack through it would divert attention from the poem itself, and thereby miss
the point entirely. Personally, I'd rather just appreciate it.

martin

Links:
 Biography of Merwin:
  http://www.poets.org/poets/poets.cfm?prmID=124&CFID=12932983&CFTOKEN=88743333

 Today's poem is very reminiscent of Atwood - see, for instance, Poem #1093

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[this poem is archived, accessible and awaiting your comments at]
http://www.cs.rice.edu/~ssiyer/minstrels/poems/1107.html

From: "julie at seacoast" <seacoast@>

I have loved this poem for many years - I first came across it in a
delightful anthology called "Half Serious" edited by William Cole.  It
seems to me to be a perfect poem on separation.  It goes to the heart
and yet is taut and exact. Maybe it is that restraint which makes it so
compelling.

From: "vivian eden" <vivian@>

I love this too. Super for showing how a good simile works. Shouldn't that
be "stitched"?

Best,
Vivian

From: Bonnie.Nelson@  Wed Oct 30 18:11:36 2002

I just found this site and really like this poem.  The poet as a needle--an instrument that is only useful when it is threaded.  SO, this seems to be
about the Absence as a oh, a motivator for useful action, the inspiration for the poet. This seems to be a tribute to the Absent one who adds real color to everything the poet does.  Also, sewing seems to be a universally productive, useful thing--stitch in time, etc.  Is this poem about what inspires a poet to write poems?


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From: "Luker, Oliver (CORP)" <Oliver.Luker@>

while we're talking about atwood with relationship to 'Separation' the poem
that it immediately reminded me of was as below ... a direct correlation for
me with the image of the needle, additionally both poems have almost the
same form. 

You Fit into Me - Atwood
you fit into me
like a hook into an eye 
a fish hook
an open eye

From: "Shailja Sharma" <shailja_shg@>

Its a beautiful poem , simple and unpretentious.
I have seen poets use heavy orante poetry to describe separation, but
this one is unique. Also i like this poem , for even though it talks
about separation, it still is about being together ("Everything I do is
stiched with its color.").
Great work!

Sunshine
Me

From: "Roger Moffatt" <roger.moffatt@>

Saw this on the london underground today and it described perfectly how
I feel.
Less truely is more when it comes to this poem.
Marvellous.

From: pcoulagi@

I read this poem years ago while still at college. I'm fascinated with 
idea of someone's absence adding to and so changing everything the poet 
does.

To me it also seemed that the absence was so powerful that the poet could 
only express it in the simplest and most restrained language. There is 
such a strong undercurrent of longing and passion to this poem! 

Priya