Welcome back to A Poem a Day. Thought I would also throw this out into the Curiosity Corner. I hope you all are doing well! We're taking a look at "Under the Arc de Triomphe: October 17" by Marilyn Hacker.
Under the Arc de Triomphe: October 17
By Marilyn Hacker
The French clocks struck two-thirty, and above
autumnal Paris, itching with parades,
starlings darted in a blinding sky.
And you did not stare after. Nor did I.
Later that evening, in a chilly bed,
I slept, fatigued with seas I had not swum,
stone-battered on the shores of missed Calais,
and did not dream the air I had not flown
nor fall and wake, in still trying to run
late, panting, through the city. And the birds
that would have flown, had we been there to see
did not swoop down the sky that afternoon.
I cannot think with whom I spent the day
nor what I thought. I slept and woke alone.
Thoughts going through my mind:
Marilyn Hacker’s “Under the Arc de Triomphe: October 17” introduces an enigmatic speaker who experiences the various consequences of a failing love relationship.
In hopes of establishing the roots of the love relationship, the poem begins by illustrating the setting’s ambiance and noting how the “French clocks struck two-thirty” (1). Though the striking of a clock is considered a normal occasion, the auditory imagery associated with “struck” signifies the speaker’s unique connection with time and highlights the extent to which human relationships can deteriorate over time. Such tensions in a relationship are further emphasized through the balance of enjambment and caesura. While the enjambment from Lines 1 to 2 illustrates a smooth transition that connotes comfort, the comma after “Paris” creates an abrupt pause and forces the readers to reflect: The merging of two different literary devices indicates the turbulent nature of a relationship. To further depict the complications of a relationship, Hacker manipulates syntax with “Nor did I” instead of clearly outlining the speaker’s intentions (4). The constantly changing sentence length and manipulation of word order encourage the readers to consider elements that lead to an unstable relationship such as fear and dishonesty.
The introduction of the second stanza serves as the turning point or volta of the poem, conveying the speaker’s evolving thoughts on the value of love. Though certain aspects (ex. number of lines and syllables) of the poem fit the standards of an English sonnet, the appearance of a volta on Line 5 deviates from the normal sonnet structure. Rather than using a typical rhyming couplet to highlight the turning point, Hacker contributes to the idea of collisions in a relationship by developing a tone of change at an early point of the poem. The phrase “fatigued with seas I had not swum” demonstrates the speaker’s convoluted feelings immediately after the relationship (6). The sibilance created with the repetition of /s/ sounds emphasizes the speaker’s desire for warmth and protection but ongoing fear of committing to love. The series of words “flown,” “fall,” and “wake” also showcase the speaker’s inability to manage the mixture of emotions and understand the overarching or bigger picture; in this regard, the speaker remains stuck “under the Arc de Triomphe” and fails to move on with life (8-9). Ultimately, the word “panting” reveals how the speaker has fallen victim to his indecisiveness (10). As the spondee stresses both syllables of “panting,” the poem starts to establish an ominous atmosphere and provides an opportunity for the readers to reflect on the speaker’s reaction to love.
The concluding lines of the poem depict the speaker’s realization that love is temporary and one must move on from a failed relationship. The phrase “woke alone” produces a notion of defeat but also serves as a platform for the speaker to personally connect with the readers and advise them to not make the same mistake in reacting to a relationship (14). In essence, Hacker’s “Under the Arc de Triomphe” constructs a speaker that initially fails to detach from a failed relationship but learns the importance of acknowledging and reflecting upon past mistakes.
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