Introduction
Welcome to our exploration of Sharon Olds’ evocative poem “I Go Back to May 1937”! 🌟 Sharon Olds, a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet known for her vivid and emotionally charged poetry, crafts this poem with a unique blend of personal history and universal themes. This piece belongs to the genre of confessional poetry, where Olds often draws from her own life to address larger human experiences.
“I Go Back to May 1937” is set against the backdrop of Olds’ parents’ lives just before they marry—an era marked by its own historical tensions and societal expectations. Through this poem, Olds delves into the complexities of familial relationships and the inevitable pain woven into the fabric of her parents’ future lives. Let’s journey through this powerful piece together! 📚✨
Meaning of I Go Back to May 1937
Opening section: In the opening lines, Olds presents a vivid image of her parents as young individuals at a pivotal moment—just before they marry. She portrays them with a sense of innocence and unknowing, foreshadowing the tumultuous future ahead.
Mid section: As the poem progresses, the middle section delves deeper into the emotional and moral landscape of her parents’ lives. Olds uses powerful imagery and emotions to capture the essence of their youthful hopes and the shadows that loom over them.
Concluding section: The conclusion brings a poignant close to the poem, as Olds reflects on the inevitability of her parents’ pain and struggles. She expresses a complex blend of longing and helplessness, wishing to prevent their union but also recognizing its necessity for her own existence.
Throughout, Olds weaves these sections together with a contemplative tone and rich imagery, exploring the depths of parental relationships and the burdens of inherited trauma.
In-depth Analysis
Stanza 1 —
- Themes and Symbols — Here, Olds introduces the motif of time travel and fate. She imagines going back to witness her parents in 1937, highlighting themes of destiny and causality.
- Literary Techniques — The use of vivid visual imagery and the metaphor of time travel set the stage for a deep emotional exploration.
Stanza 2 —
- Themes and Symbols — This stanza focuses on the youthful appearance and obliviousness of her parents to their future suffering.
- Literary Techniques — Olds uses contrast and irony to highlight the stark difference between the hopeful beginnings and the known painful outcomes.
Stanza 3 —
- Themes and Symbols — The inevitability of her parents’ painful future and the impact on her own existence are explored here.
- Literary Techniques — The final stanza employs powerful visual and kinesthetic imagery to evoke deep emotional responses from the reader.
Stanza 4 —
- Themes and Symbols — Olds explores the theme of foreboding and the shadow of future hardships that her parents will face. The imagery of her father’s hands, potentially symbolic of his life’s work and its impact, is introduced here.
- Literary Techniques — Olds uses symbolism and imagery to evoke a sense of dread and inevitability. The description of her father’s hands as they might engage in future actions conveys a heavy sense of fate.
Stanza 5 —
- Themes and Symbols — This stanza may reflect on the fragility of hope and the harsh realities of life. The imagery of her mother sewing at the boarding house window, glimpsing into the future, acts as a metaphor for life’s uncertain prospects.
- Literary Techniques — Use of metaphor and personification deepens the emotional impact, giving life to the settings and actions, making them carriers of profound personal and historical narratives.
Stanza 6 —
- Themes and Symbols — The final lines bring a sense of closing and resignation. Olds touches upon the theme of inevitability and acceptance of her parents’ paths, and subsequently, her own existence.
- Literary Techniques — The poem closes with powerful imagery and a poignant tone that encapsulates the emotional weight of accepting one’s history and the outcomes of past choices.
Poetic Devices used in I Go Back to May 1937
| Device | Example from the Poem |
|---|---|
| Imagery | “I see them standing at the formal gates of their colleges” |
| Metaphor | “I see my father strolling out” implies a carefree attitude towards a serious decision |
| Simile | “like the black silhouette of a tree” to describe the mother’s shadow |
| Alliteration | “standing at the formal gates” emphasizes the sound of ‘f’ |
| Assonance | “the long seam of the law” uses repetition of the ‘o’ sound |
| Personification | “the years to come—like a line of lit windows” gives life to time |
| Irony | The anticipation of a happy life contrasted with the reader’s knowledge of their future hardships |
| Symbolism | Sewing and strolling as symbols of domestic and carefree lives respectively |
| Allusion | No explicit allusions, but invokes the Great Depression era by date |
| Hyperbole | “I want to go up to them and say Stop” exaggerates the desire to change the past |
I Go Back to May 1937 – FAQs
Q: What is the main theme of ‘I Go Back to May 1937’? A: The main theme revolves around the inevitability of pain and the complexities of familial bonds, examined through the lens of her parents’ marriage.
Q: How does Sharon Olds use structure in the poem to enhance its themes? A: Olds employs a straightforward narrative structure that mirrors the chronological inevitability of her parents’ union and its consequences, emphasizing the poem’s themes of fate and destiny.
Q: What role does imagery play in ‘I Go Back to May 1937’? A: Imagery is crucial in the poem, as it vividly brings to life the scenes from her parents’ past, helping to evoke emotional responses and deepen the reader’s understanding of the themes.
Q: What does Sharon Olds mean by ‘going back to May 1937’? A: Sharon Olds uses the concept of ‘going back’ as a narrative technique to reflect on her parents’ lives before they were burdened by the responsibilities and eventual hardships of their marriage and future.
Q: Can the poem be seen as a reflection on fate versus free will? A: Yes, the poem navigates the tension between fate and free will, pondering whether the course of events could have been altered or if they were predetermined.
Q: How does the setting of May 1937 contribute to the poem’s themes? A: The setting places the poem during a time of economic and global uncertainty—the eve of World War II and the tail end of the Great Depression, which underscores the themes of impending doom and the innocence of the characters at that time.
I Go Back to May 1937 Study Guide
Verse: “Here is a man and a woman who will marry, the man sees the woman through the window of the boarding house where she is sewing tea towels.”
Devices used in this verse:
- Imagery: Describing the scene visually through the window.
- Symbolism: The act of sewing tea towels symbolizes domestic life and traditional roles.
Answers:
- Imagery — Visual description helps picture the scene.
- Symbolism — Sewing represents domesticity and the expected roles within marriage.
This guide serves as an in-depth look into Sharon Olds’ “I Go Back to May 1937,” offering insights into its poetic and rhetorical devices.