Close Reading: Dark August - Derek Walcott

Dark August - Derek Walcott

So much rain, so much life like the swollen sky

of this black August. My sister, the sun,

broods in her yellow room and won't come out.

Everything goes to hell; the mountains fume

like a kettle, rivers overrun; still,

she will not rise and turn off the rain.

She is in her room, fondling old things,

my poems, turning her album. Even if thunder falls

like a crash of plates from the sky,

she does not come out.

Don't you know I love you but am hopeless

at fixing the rain ? But I am learning slowly

to love the dark days, the steaming hills,

the air with gossiping mosquitoes,

and to sip the medicine of bitterness,

so that when you emerge, my sister,

parting the beads of the rain,

with your forehead of flowers and eyes of forgiveness,

all with not be as it was, but it will be true

(you see they will not let me love

as I want), because, my sister, then

I would have learnt to love black days like bright ones,

The black rain, the white hills, when once

I loved only my happiness and you.

Source: https://allpoetry.com/poem/8530135-Dark-August-by-Derek-Walcott

Annotation

Detailed Line-by-Line Analysis of "Dark August"

Line 1:

Key phrase: "So much rain, so much life"

Literary device: Juxtaposition

Meaning: Sets the melancholic tone, highlighting the abundance of both rain and life, suggesting a complex relationship between pain and growth.

Line 2:

Key phrase: "swollen sky"

Literary device: Metaphor

Meaning: Compares the rain-heavy sky to a swollen body, suggesting emotional intensity and the potential for release.

Line 3:

Key phrase: "black August"

Literary device: Color symbolism

Meaning: Black is associated with darkness, depression, and hardship, foreshadowing the emotional struggle to come.

Line 4:

Key phrase: "My sister, the sun"

Literary device: Personification

Meaning: Establishes the metaphor of the sister as the source of light and warmth, vital for the speaker's emotional well-being.

Line 5:

Key phrase: "broods in her yellow room"

Literary device: Color symbolism and imagery

Meaning: Yellow can symbolize both hope and isolation. The room suggests confinement and withdrawal, reflecting the sister's depression.

Line 6:

Key phrase: "won't come out"

Literary device: Repetition

Meaning: Reinforces the sister's isolation and emphasizes the speaker's longing for her presence.

Line 7:

Key phrase: "Everything goes to hell"

Literary device: Hyperbole

Meaning: Exaggerates the external chaos, reflecting the speaker's internal turmoil and sense of helplessness.

Line 8:

Key phrase: "mountains fume like a kettle"

Literary device: Simile

Meaning: The mountains' anger and potential for eruption mirror the speaker's intense emotions.

Line 9:

Key phrase: "rivers overrun; still,"

Literary device: Enjambment and semicolon

Meaning: The chaotic flow of the rivers emphasizes the lack of control over the situation, creating a sense of tension and anticipation.

Line 10:

Key phrase: "she will not rise and turn off the rain"

Literary device: Metaphor and personification

Meaning: The sister's continued withdrawal is portrayed as a refusal to end the speaker's emotional downpour.

Lines 11–12:

Key phrase: "fondling old things," "my poems, turning her album"

Literary device: Imagery and enumeration

Meaning: The sister seeks comfort in the past, suggesting a retreat from the present difficulties.

Line 13:

Key phrase: "Even if thunder falls like a crash of plates from the sky"

Literary device: Simile and hyperbole

Meaning: The thunder's power fails to break the sister's seclusion, highlighting the depth of her depression.

Lines 14–16:

Key phrase: "Don't you know I love you but am hopeless at fixing the rain?"

Literary device: Direct address and rhetorical question

Meaning: The speaker expresses his love and helplessness, acknowledging his limitations in controlling the situation.

Lines 17–18:

Key phrase: "I am learning slowly to love the dark days, the steaming hills"

Literary device: Repetition and anaphora

Meaning: The speaker's gradual acceptance of the "darkness" signifies his personal growth and developing resilience.

Lines 19–20:

Key phrase: "the air with gossiping mosquitoes," "sip the medicine of bitterness"

Literary device: Metaphor and personification

Meaning: The annoying mosquitoes symbolize the unpleasant aspects of life that must be tolerated, while the "bitterness" represents necessary but difficult challenges.

Lines 21–24:

Key phrase: "when you emerge, my sister," "parting the beads of the rain"

Literary device: Imagery and metaphor

Meaning: The speaker anticipates his sister's eventual healing and emotional release, symbolized by her parting the rain.

Lines 25–26:

Key phrase: "all with not be as it was, but it will be true"

Literary device: Paradox and parallelism

Meaning: The relationship will be different but genuine, acknowledging the changes brought by the experience.

Lines 27–28:

Key Phrase: "you see they will not let me love as I want," "because, my sister, then"

Literary Device: Implied constraint and ellipsis

Meaning: The speaker hints at external limits on his emotional expression, potentially social or cultural restrictions. This adds complexity to his journey of acceptance, suggesting that he must learn to love within these limitations.

Overall Conclusions:

Themes: "Dark August" explores themes of emotional turmoil, loss, acceptance, resilience, and the limitations of love.

Character Development: The speaker's journey from despair to acceptance showcases his emotional growth and newfound ability to find strength in adversity.

Symbolism: Rain and sunlight represent emotional states, mountains and rivers symbolize external forces, and the sister embodies the power of hope and healing.

Literary Devices: The poem utilizes a variety of literary devices to create a vivid and emotionally charged narrative, including metaphors, personification, similes, hyperbole, imagery, enjambment, repetition, anaphora, and symbolism.

Detailed Analysis of "Dark August"

Structure and Rhythm:

The poem unfolds in six stanzas of varying lengths, mirroring the speaker's emotional state - fluctuating and turbulent. The free verse form reflects the unpredictable nature of the storm and the internal struggle within the speaker. Short, punctuated lines ("She will not rise.") emphasize the sister's stubbornness, while longer, flowing lines ("Everything goes to hell; the mountains fume / like a kettle, rivers overrun") capture the overwhelming despair. The poem's rhythm echoes the rhythm of the rain, sometimes torrential ("crash of plates"), sometimes gentle ("sipping the medicine").

Meaning and Imagery:

The poem paints a vivid picture of a world drowning in the relentless rain of "black August." This darkness is both literal and metaphorical. It represents the speaker's despair and the emotional distance between them and their sister, the "sun." The sister's withdrawal ("broods in her yellow room") symbolizes her own internal turmoil and possibly resentment towards the speaker.

The imagery is rich and evocative. The "swollen sky" and "steaming hills" overwhelm with their oppressive presence. The "kettle" metaphor adds a sense of simmering anger and frustration, while the "mosquitoes gossiping" suggest a world filled with negativity and judgment. The contrast between "black days" and "white hills" highlights the speaker's journey towards acceptance and learning to find beauty in the midst of darkness.

Literary Devices:

Personification: The mountains "fume" and the air "gossips," bringing the natural world alive and reflecting the speaker's emotional state.

 Metaphor: The rain is a "medicine of bitterness," suggesting its cleansing and transformative power. The sister's forehead of "flowers" and eyes of "forgiveness" offer a glimmer of hope and reconciliation.

 Repetition: The refrain of "you see they will not let me love / as I want" underscores the speaker's frustration and helplessness, emphasizing their internal conflict.

 Juxtaposition: Contrasting images like "black rain" and "white hills" or "hopeless at fixing the rain" and "learning slowly / to love the dark days" highlight the speaker's internal struggle and growth.

Overall:

"Dark August" is a poignant exploration of love, loss, and acceptance. The poem's evocative imagery and emotional intensity capture the complexities of family relationships and the struggle to find beauty in the midst of darkness. Through the speaker's journey, the poem offers a powerful message about learning to love all aspects of life, even the difficult ones.

Additional Notes:

The poem's title, "Dark August," sets the tone of gloom and despair. The month of August, often associated with warmth and sunshine, is here twisted into a symbol of darkness and loss.

The speaker's relationship with their sister is central to the poem. The sun's withdrawal and the speaker's yearning for connection highlight the importance of emotional warmth and understanding.

The poem's ending, while hopeful, remains ambiguous. The speaker's statement "all will not be as it was, but it will be true" suggests an acceptance of change and a new understanding of love, but the true nature of their relationship with their sister remains open to interpretation.