SONG OF THE REPUBLIC

SONG OF THE REPUBLIC

“Poetry is neither how we speak nor how we write but it is a medium that is much closer to how human beings think. Song of the Republic is a book about the natural world where human compulsion and submission are dramatized through the play of flora and fauna in a New England setting. In this scenery the subtraction of human futility is made beautiful as both love and grief which—in the face of death—become conditions for admiration and sometimes transcendence. Within this vast metaphorical theatre, the act of friendship is a path which allows us to move from room to room as we proceed towards our sole freedom, that is, in the performance and practice of impassioned love.”

TATIANA
From — SONG OF THE REPUBLIC
By Kevin McGrath from Saint Julian Press 2020

In “Tatiana,” Kevin McGrath paints a picture of the natural world in the final moments of dusk. With their soft noise and hundred wings, the geese are described as descending onto the lake like something “greater than we ever were, and the sky as “primitive.”  The half-moon and white planet in the sky add to the sense of grandeur and otherworldliness. 

The poem touches on the idea of human life being a reversal of the natural world, with the poet suggesting that humans often think they are inventing things that have already been done before.  
“Tatiana” is a contemplative and poetic reflection on the natural world and the cyclical nature of life. Through its language and imagery, the poem invites the reader to consider their place in the world and how human life is connected to the larger cycles of nature.
 
The poem employs several literary devices to convey its themes and create an atmosphere. The repetition of the long “o” sound in "goose" and "moon" makes sense of unity between the natural elements in the poem. The use of personification, such as the moon "gaping" and the sky “primitive,” adds depth to the realistic imagery and suggests a sense of mystery and awe. The contrast between the noise of the geese's wings and the calm of the lake, as well as the distinction between the children playing inside and the natural world outside, adds to the sense of contrast and balance in the poem.
 
The final stanza shifts the focus to the children in the house, who are “imitating a tune” as the last rays of pink light disappear into another world. This contrast between the grandeur of nature and the smallness of human life emphasizes the idea of a reversal as if the natural world is a trustworthy source of power and inspiration. In contrast, human life is just a mere imitation.
 
The poem’s final stanza introduces the image of children imitating a tune in a house and the sky transitioning from pink to black as sleep fills the hemisphere. This brings the focus back to the human experience, suggesting that even as the natural world continues, humans continue to go about their daily lives.
 
The final line, with the owl gliding from its wood, adds to this sense of the natural world as a timeless and eternal force. The repetition of the word “as” in this line also suggests a sense of continuity and cyclicality, as if the natural world is constantly moving and changing. At the same time, human life is stuck in patterns of imitation and repetition.
 
Largely, “Tatiana” is a poem that celebrates the beauty and majesty of the natural world while suggesting that human life is small and insignificant. The poem explores the theme of the interconnectedness of all living things and how nature is both larger than and deeply intertwined with human life. The imagery of the geese, the celestial bodies, and the contrast between the natural and artificial worlds contribute to this premise. Through its vivid imagery and clever repetition, McGrath invites readers to consider their place in creation and how they interact with the natural world around them.

​TATIANA

 
Geese landing upon a lake
In the final red bars of dusk
The soft noise of a hundred wings
Mowing through cool dark air
 
From over smooth hills they came
Crying out in long formation
Above a half-moon was gaping
At a brilliant white planet
 
Onto calm water descending
Something greater than we ever were
 Rising and falling onto a lake
Circling low in black emptiness
 
Further off in a house children
Were imitating a tune
As the last thin pink rays went
From a primitive sky to another world
 
Reversal of so much human life
We repeat thinking we invent
Sleep fills our hemisphere as
An owl glides from its wood
​

PRESS RELEASE
​Publication: October 2, 2020
Paperback: $18.00
ISBN: 978-1-7330233-3-7

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 Saint Julian Press, Inc. * Houston, TX  *  Ron Starbuck ~ Publisher-CEO
 Email: [email protected] * Web: www.saintjulianpress.com

Note: This literary analysis content was originally generated by the OpenAI-ChatGPT artificial intelligence service, edited, and enhanced afterward for grammar and writing style.
 
OpenAI Website: https://openai.com/about/