The Day Poem Analysis

Poems exists for sharing an experience, telling a story, and are precious journeys to be shared. In the poem “The Day” by Geoffrey Brock functions perfectly in this way, sharing his view of life by comparing it to a transitory plum hanging on a stem. He describes a scene of a young man trying to capture a ripe plum. He comments on the element of time and truly is a masterpiece for readers. With some similarities to a sonnet Brock raises two components in his poem about life and morality. Brock is known for his verse “with the kind of ironical self-perspective that appreciates the ridiculous desperation of our daily lives” (Ward). In his exploration of life, he utilizes primarily strong visual imagery and complex figurative language to communicate …show more content…
From Brock’s perspective, life is like a plum. The plum is desired by the speaker as the first half of the poem describes the beauty of a ripe plum waiting to be picked. In the first couple of stanzas it focuses on the simile of a plum. The plum is depicted as opulent and splendid. It represents the cycle of life and the passing of time. The poem mentions topics such as the passing of seasons and mortality. Brock’s verse addresses the idea that time prevents one from gaining the items desired. The item desired in the poem is the plum. The speaker contemplates the plum that “hangs on it’s/ stem like a plum” (1-2). The speakers showcases his great desire for the “swelling and/ blushing and ripe” plum (5-6). This establishes the tone of the poem of longing for the magnificent plum. In the later half of the poem the speaker reaches out for the plum and finds his movement to late. When he tries to grab the plum he realizes that the “flesh moves/ slow through time” (9-10). The inevitable failure in the pursuit of the plum or attaining one's greatest desire by the lost of time. Brock depicts time in nature moving much faster than the speaker who tries to get the plum. Evening comes swiftly and defeats his endeavors. The central figurative language used is the plum representing any luscious object. The end of the poem symbolizes the death of the speaker as his fingers ripen and realizes that his time is …show more content…
Brock abruptly starts his verse by stating “ it hangs on its stem/ like a plum/ at the edge of a darkening thicket” (1-4). This simile resonates and depicts a vivid image of a ripe plum hanging on the tip of dense bush. Life is being compared to a growing plum. In the next stanza that reads “ it’s swelling and/ blushing and ripe/ and I reach out a/ hand to pick it” continues the extended simile of comparing a plum to the object one's desires in life (5-8). The plum is introduced as an enticing eternal object juxtaposed towards the end of the poem as an ephemeral object that passes with time. In this comparison the plum acts as the vehicle for comparing it to one's greatest desire in life. It describes how luscious and enticing a growing plum looks while explaining the beauty of a desired object that last so short. The plum develops into a motif that depicts that life like a plum is so rich and full. This enriches the meaning of the poem by helping the reader visually see the plum by using words such as “swelling” and “blushing”. These words enhance the poem by allowing the reader to use their senses to actually see the plum. In the following stanza, Brock contrast the short span of life when he says, “but flesh moves/ slow through time/ and evening/ comes on fast” (9-12). He describes that time moves fast that restricts him from gaining the object he