The Bear
The poem has a story-like quality, being told from the perspective of a first person narrator which makes it even more personal. In the first part of the poem, the narrator describes his quest for survival, how he, after sustained efforts, managed to kill a bear and then feasted for days on the flesh and blood of the animal. The narrator starts consuming the bear only after seven days but once he begins, he eventually uses the bear’s carcasses as a shelter against the harsh weather. In the sixth part of the poem, the narrator describes how everything he ate that came from the bear was indigestible and as a result it made him extremely sick.
The poem ends with the description of spring coming over the lands and the description of nature and animals coming back from their long sleep. The narrator, at this point, starts to wonder the forest, thinking about the blood which kept him alive during the harsh winter. The poem ends with the narrator comparing the blood he consumed with poetry, claiming they both have the same power.
While the first part of the poem was almost a narrative one, the last part of the poem was the point where the narrator transmitted the main idea, namely how for him, poetry gave him the will and the power to survive. Just like bear blood may not be suitable for everyone when it comes to surviving, for some people is something which can’t be replaced by nothing else. For them, and for the poet, their survival depended on those elements.
Another Night in the Ruins
In the beginning of the poem, the narrator notices the presence of a bird, appearing on the evening sky and being visible only for a moment. The image of the bird made him remember a plane ride he took years ago, traveling over the Atlantic. While in the plane, he remembered his brother and what he used to say to the narrator.
The narrator described the sound one may hear during the night as well as the sounds that show the imminent arrival of a new day. The seventh part of the poem is a philosophical one, mentioning how humans like to think of themselves as being like the mythological phoenix bird, capable of coming back to life. In reality, the narrator points out, this is far from being the truth and humans need to accept the reality that they are fleeting beings that once they die, they cease to exist completely.
Rapture
The two characters in the poem mentioned above are the narrator and his partner, the action described in the poem taking place over the course of one morning. The action begins at 7 A.M. when the partner of the narrator wakes up. The narrator continues to keep his eyes close, playing in his mind a possible conversation he could have with the female over breakfast. The narrator mentions how it is possible that the female would feel ashamed to hear him talk about such things, implying thus that the subject may be sexual in nature.
When the narrator opens his eyes, he sees the woman bent over, looking for underwear. The narrator uses this occasion to describe the woman and her body and also imply that they engaged in lovemaking. The poem continues at 8 o’clock when the narrator sees the woman once more looking through her clothes for something to wear. The poem ends with the narrator expressing his confidence that the woman will be thinking about their "rapture’’ for the rest of the day, while performing different tasks.
Parkinson’s Disease
In the poem mentioned above, the narrator takes the role of observer as he watches a woman feeding a man suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Despite not being able to talk, the man is capable of transmitting the woman just how grateful he is for her help.
The attention of the narrator then moves on food, called ‘’the last pleasure on earth’’. What the disabled man feels when he eats what the woman gives him is compared with what someone on death row may feel when eating his or her last meal. This is a simple pleasure and is also used to transmit the idea that humans do not need a lot of things to be happy and to feel content.
The attention of the narrator moves back to the woman who is now stroking the man’s cheek with affection. The man seems to enjoy this and this image prompts the narrator to wonder what happens with one’s memories after they pass away, thinking that maybe some still remember the lives they had. The poem then continues to describe the man and the state in which he now found himself, unable to go to the bathroom on his own and also in need of wearing diapers. The man sometimes forgets how to walk and has to be reminded by the woman of this basic process. The woman is finally identified as being the daughter of the man and her purpose is also presented: to take care of her father for as long as he still lives. The process through which the daughter takes care of the father is compared with the way in which the father taught his daughter everything she knows when she was a child, thus highlighting the course one’s life may take.
After Making Love We Hear Footsteps
The poem mentioned above focuses on the narrator’s son, Fergus, who was often woken up from his deep sleep by a nightmare. The narrator and his wife had to often console the young child after his nightmares and he started to go to their room, even after they had just finished making love. The narrator and his wife enjoy these moments, the child reminding them of their love for one another and just through how many things they went through in their marriage.
In comparison with other poems by the author, "After Making Love We Hear Footsteps’’ presents the domestic bliss the narrator and his wife were experiencing. It also shows just how fulfilling a happy family can be and how it can be a source of immense happiness.
