Flying at Night
by Ted Kooser
Above us, stars. Beneath us, constellations.
Five billion miles away, a galaxy dies
like a snowflake falling on water. Below us,
some farmer, feeling the chill of that distant death,
snaps on his yard light, drawing his sheds and barn
back into the little system of his care.
All night, the cities, like shimmering novas,
tug with bright streets at lonely lights like his.
I think this poem is saying many things. In the first line, "Above us, stars. Beneath us, constellations" implies that everything in the universe is part of one thing, and everything is related to something. The next two lines compare the death of a galaxy to a snowflake falling on water. This could mean two things. One, even though death may seem like a big deal, it's really insignificant. A snowflake falling on water is nothing of concern. It could also mean that when something dies, it just changes, and joins others in death. When a snowflake falls on water, it turns into water and joins the rest of the water molecules. So those who die simply join a new world. The part of the farmer shows that most people are still afraid of death. "Drawing his sheds and barn back into the little system of his care" show that people take comfort in what they know. The last two lines once again compare the universe to life on Earth. It also cheers up the mood a bit with "shimmering novas" and "bright streets." What the poem is saying overall is that life on this planet is like life in the entire universe. Death is a reality, but in the broad scope of things, it is insignificant, and we should take joy in the living.
I like this poem mostly because of the mood it sets. The way it compare normal human life to the cosmos gives the poem a very relaxed feel. Or maybe that's just me. But when I read the poem I imagine a lot of shimmering stars and galaxies, and then lights going out as some of it dies, but it doesn't matter because there's still so much light left. For a spacey person like me, that's pretty cool. I also like the overall message. Basically it's saying that death is no big deal, but it manages to say it in such a nice way.
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3 comments:
Good analysis of the poem!
Interesting thoughts Anna, although this poem makes me feel insignificant when faced with the universe.
And in typical Anna style, it relates to death too!
This poem makes me feel so small-- it's really powerful. I agree with you about the message of the poem that in the sceme of things, death is relatively unimportant. That gives me a wierd feeling...thanks Anna, now I'll be questioning philosophical ideas all day...and the snow made me so happy...(I sound like a two-year-old) :D
Wow, this poem is so beautiful! The way he uses a relatively small number of words to impart such grand pictures makes it feel really peaceful, like stargazing or something. I totally agree with your analysis.
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