The Broken Tower by Harold Cranes - Essay Example

Lecturer: The Broken Tower There are several religious elements in the poem. After a scrutiny of Harold Crane’s life where he took a lot after his mother and she was a stern individual on religious morals and values, this explains the religious aspect in his poem. The poem begins with a bell rope that gathers God at dawn, it is ironical that it is neither the bell nor its sound that gathers God but the rope. Later in the poem description of the rope opens up the thought that they are rope s to the cathedral, often in normal situation whereby Christians meet. The bell-rope that gathers God at dawn Dispatches me as though I dropped down the knell(Stanza 1, Line 1 and 2). Also the state through which he approached the whole poem had to be divine for his purpose to surge through to the readers. In the first stanza the poet is also being called by the rope, he is instead in a terrible state that he is dispatched and left to wonder along the cathedral. Dispatches me as though I dropped down the knell Of a spent day - to wander the cathedral lawn (Stanza 1, Line 2 and 3) For the poet, it is ironical that the cathedral does not offer the same solace it offers the Christians who seek refuge there. It is a place of pain for him. From pit to crucifix, feet chill on steps from hell.(Stanza 1, line 4) The image portrayed by this line is that, the poet steps from hell but only to get his feet inserted in the cold. The cathedral does not give him the chance and opportunity to speak to God as it does other people. This is a description of the poets suffering, from the lines in the first stanza it is obvious that the life he lives does not offer much comfort. He speaks of God as a sign that he knows of His existence but, the thought stops there he knows but does not believe. A peek into Harts life show how much he believes in his talents. He saw himself a s a genius who was being persecuted by the world for his sexual beliefs. On several instances he used it to his advantage. The poem echoes the Greek tragedy in the tale of Orpheus, he descended in the underground and came back to enlighten the rest of the world of his experiences of hell. His underground was his escape from home; rough gay bars of New York. His writing a way of letting the world know of his experience. Crane saw himself as a tragic figure and his sexual orientation and the problems it caused him seem central to this.     In the second stanza the poet shifts from simple narration to directly addressing the reader. Have you not heard, have you not seen that corps Of shadows in the tower, whose shoulders sway Antiphonal carillons launched before The stars are caught and hived in the suns ray?(Stanza 2) There is corps of shadows in the bell tower, even before the sun is up or the bells are rung. The corps could be a representation of earlier poets whose greatness allowed them the power to roam the world in the peaceful morning while everyone is still asleep. The poet gives the human power Godly abilities of having life after death. The same way Jesus did his work, and served the people and died for their sins but he sits in heaven (Luke, 23) and watches over mankind even while in their sleep. The poet seeks same greatness, as a reader one sees this in his writing the way he speaks of corps who roam along the cathedral, it is with great admiration. He yearns for a day when his writing will permit him to reach such greatness. The third stanza starts with repetition; same is observable in the second stanza this shows the narrators desire to be heard. The bells, I say, the bells break down their tower; And swing I know not where. Their tongues engrave Membrane through marrow, my long-scattered score Of broken intervals… And I, their sexton slave! (Stanza 3) From the poet’s insistence one can almost say he feels as if the readers are in doubt of his words thus, he repeats himself in the second and third stanzas. The bells which he so much talks of are so strong enough to break their own tower but even the poet does not know where they are. Seemingly they represent a poetic voice or some internal force so strong enough unable to be contained and it breaks its own tower. The broken tower is known to be Harold Crane’s last work and his biography. In this poem he describes himself as a slave a sexton slave for that matter. He speaks of long scattered score of broken intervals probably describing the time in his life when his poetic skills disappeared. The bells as earlier noted could represent an strong internal force this could also be a strong emotional force when he had no love in his life and the emotions were so strong and would cause him grave pain. Stanza four still describes the sound of the bell. It is strong and increases in depth over the canyons and destroys other sounds as well as it echoes across the broad and expansive plain. Oval encyclicals in canyons heaping The impasse high with choir. Banked voices slain! Pagodas campaniles with reveilles out leaping- O terraced echoes prostrate on the plain!(Stanza 4) The poet seemingly is affected by this sound in a way and the same reason as to why he keeps mentioning it all through from stanza one to four. In stanza five the poet talks of the broken world, the relationship between this world and the broken tower seems unclear but they could both be representing the same thing. And so it was I entered the broken world (Stanza 5, line 1) Still in the same stanza we are told of his pursuit for love. A biography of Crane notes that his last trip was in Mexico where he met his first and only heterosexual encounter. Whether or not this is what the poet is trying to explain is quite unclear to the reader. He although believes that the love he is pursuing will be worth it as he describes it as the visionary company. To trace the visionary company of love, its voice An instant in the wind (I know not whither hurled) But not for long to hold each desperate choic (Stanza 5, line 3, 4 and 5) Stanza six quite poetic, the poet seems at ease and has confidence with the words he is putting down. My world I poured. But was it cognate, scored Of that tribunal monarch of the air (Stanza 6, line 1and 2) Again the poet ventures into the world of the woman, she seems to have a strong grip unto him. In stanza six and seven the strength of the woman who gives hope to the poet encouraging him to go lunge back into the world of creativity. Whose thighs embronzes earth, strikes crystal Word In wounds pledges once to hope - cleft to despair?(stanza 6) The steep encroachments of my blood left me No answer (could blood hold such a lofty tower (stanza 7) He questions himself, in doubt as to her strength. The poet in the third stanza says he is sexton, could it be he was unsure of his sexual stand. That is a tough question the poet left us the readers to deal with. This woman is not just a mere personification, she is evokes great power, doubt and lust from within the poets being. She beckons the poet to surge back into the world of creativity. The poet is intimately aware of her and realizes how difficult it is for him to be separated from her. As flings the question true?) -or is it she Whose sweet mortality stirs latent power?-(Stanza 7, line 3and 4). There is a biblical allusion in this sense that the poet seemingly borrowed from the bible stories of Adam and Eve. The way Eve had so much power for Adam, he could not separate himself from her, and the hold she had over him was so strong for him to sin against God (Genesis, 3). This short poem mirrors three facts in the institution of God, one is the constitution of the human body, the destitution of faith and standing straight up and hoping to be heard. Crane echoes Whitman by the representation of his poems. The broken Tower shows the poet as of modest means, showing all the characteristic of humans without biasness, singing of hope in through his lines, and presenting himself as of no gender. He limits his embrace at the same time offering hope without involving himself as much. And so it was I entered the broken world To trace the visionary company of love, its voice An instant in the wind (I know not whither hurled) But not for long to hold each desperate choice.(Stanza 5) There is an echo of Whitman’s work in the broken tower, Crane shares a look into the past, and the roads he has passed using language and emotion. My word I poured. But was it cognate, scored Of that tribunal monarch of the air (Stanza 6, line 1 and 2). Biblical allusion also comes in the way the poet represents himself as Christ, having finished his work in the world. The stage is now set for his crucifixion; he is ready to surrender form the world where one is slaughtered by denial. Restoration in the world the poet tries to portray is through repetition of the motif of the crumbling physical. And through whose pulse I hear, counting the strokes My veins recall and add, revived and sure The angelus of wars my chest evokes: What I hold healed, original now, and pure…(Stanza 8). Works cited Crane Hart.” The Broken Tower”. The Complete poems of Hart Crane. Ed. Marc Simons. New York : Liveright, 2001.160-61.Print. The Holy Bible : containing the old and new testament. Iowa Falls, Iowa] : World Bible Publishers.1900. Print. Read More