Poem Analysis: Song of Welcome - Essay Example

Poem Analysis: Song of Welcome “Song of Welcome” by Joseph Brodsky brings out the aspect of life and its events. The poem is a compression of a lifetime that fits into seventeen stanzas. Each stanza has a special phase of life attached to it and uses three lines to define the phase and its implications. The stanzas are uniquely linked with a welcoming phrase at the end, inviting one to the inevitable chapter of life that follows their current one. There is a great explanation of life in the whole poem. The speaker defines various stages of life in a conceptualization of events that happen throughout the life’s different phases. The various styles of the poem, including the title, repetition, mood, symbolism, and the rhyme are all elements Brodsky used to create a wonderful poem to explore the journey of one’s life. The title of the poem, the welcome song, not only refers to the definition of each word, but implies multiple meanings of life experiences when someone reads through the whole poem. There is no indication of the type of song being sang at the welcoming occasion. The title can represent sadness, as indicated by illness, death and burial in the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteen stanzas. It can also be interpreted as a happy one as described in the birth of a child and their eventual marriage. This title in itself has a whole story to tell. It covers a span of time that is typical to all individuals. The only variation would be the length of the song. For some, it would be long depending on their achievements and years they live. For others, it would be as short as two stanzas; their birth and death. The lack of the “welcome” clause in the fifteenth and sixteenth stanza is symbolic of warning). The lack of this phrase in these two stanzas indicates departure, rather than entry, into an unknown world. Brodsky uses repetition of the welcome phrase throughout the poem. This repetition confirms and emphasizes on the fact that life and death are compulsory passages. No one can skip any stage of life, which are mostly dictated by time. A systematic progression, accompanied by a change of events, creates continuity in the poem. The end of one chapter in life means the beginning of another. Similarly, the end of one stanza of the poem creates a basis on which the next one is set. The only break in life is the end of it, as shown at the end of the poem. The beginning of life indicates a new journey that starts from a small point of development, as does the beginning of the first stanza of the poem. The mood of the poem changes as the stanzas progress. It begins with a cheerful one, and a song of joy, when the author reports the birth of a child. The child is welcomed and introduced to its parents. This happy mood leads the reader to question the sadness indicated on the child’s face. This sadness is an indication of the tough life ahead. This inquiry is a concern of the reason for a sad mood in such happy times. The introduction into a family is an event of genuine happiness. Introducing the child to the ways of the world, such as feeding and playing, is illustrated in the second stanza. The child has everything to choose from. The mood then changes to a serious one when they get employed. There is joy in receiving a paycheck and responsibility in paying the rent. The realization of life creeps in, and the speaker states the necessity of money. Life revolves around it. At a later stage in life, a sad mood takes over. X-ray images and hospital bills become the norm. Death is imminent and scary. This sadness continues through the death and funeral events, and a somber mood comes in with the onset of the everyday afterlife. Brodsky uses symbolism to create an understanding of the matter at hand. The blood mentioned in the first stanza indicates an everlasting bond between parents and their children. The child will grow to survive the same phases of life as their parents did. This symbol also portrays mortality. With blood, there is life and death too. The poem also has a paycheck as a symbol of prosperity, as mentioned in the fourth stanza. This wealth is crowned by the fame that follows. The success of an individual, especially in the social aspect, depends on the amount and value of the money they have. This money is utilized with the levels of responsibility that come with it. The more money one has, the more they spend. The rent that the speaker talks about in the fourth stanza indicates added responsibilities that come with increased income. The money also brings about fame, an aspect of life that one should accept openly as long as it stands. An empty pew in the fifteenth stanza is symbolic of the emptiness that follows the death of a close person. This death due to illness or old age cuts life short. This emptiness of a pew is also symbolic of a church-goer. They had their usual sitting place in the house of worship, and upon their death, that space is still left for them. It is as though the departed will occupy it some other time. Most people still want to take departure as short-lived. This empty pew also symbolizes the failure of people to face life as it is and embrace change. They stick to the past and fail to acknowledge the realities of life, whether positive or painful. The speaker shows no feelings throughout this period of mourning. There is no indication of pity, sympathy or empathy. Every detail is given with an honest statement of reality. The rhyme scheme in each stanza creates a flow within the poem. This rhyme scheme can be defined as AAA because the three lines in each stanza rhyme. Each verse follows this rhyme scheme as an indication of a full phase of life. The end rhyme suits the description of the speaker’s purpose, which is to drive home the point of life’s linearity. This life is filled with varying outcomes. The poem creates contradictions in its inviting nature. There is a paradox in the welcome invites given by the author. The invites call upon the reader to start off in a life that is full of variations. One is invited to marriage, and eventually to a divorce that fulfills the normal way of life. Another is invited to life through birth, but their lives get cut short by illnesses and misfortunes. The speaker also attracts people to the world of earning an income, regardless of the fact that they will have to pay rent and hospital bills, among other expenses of life. Life is exciting and cannot be avoided. There is neither education nor an outline to it. The step-by-step stages of birth, growth, development, maturity, prosperity, old-age and death form an unavoidable routine. One has to follow the same process as others. It is a similar process for everyone, and the weird thing is that no one can change this standard route of life even with the knowledge that it leads to death. Read More