Lam 1

Brian Lam

Mr. Gallagher

AP Literature and Composition

12 December 2010

Explication

In the poem “Often I Am Permitted to Return to a Meadow,” by Robert Duncan suggest

that unity is a bond used to protect the innocent person. Duncan is saying that the obstacles in

life become a disturbance, which brings upon the association of togetherness that would help

break that barrier.

Duncan introduces the isolation and attachment that an individual experiences when a

property is not own or own by the person. Duncan shows that he is “permitted to return to the

meadow as if it were a scene made-up by the mind, that is not mine, but is a made place, that is

mine, it is so near to the heart. . . (1-3).” The parallel clauses that Duncan creates show a

person’s belonging in relation between owning and not owning a property. Isolation comes when

a person does not feel that he or she is accepted the responsibility to care for something. While

attachment is the exact opposite because it is “so near to the heart” that “an eternal pasture folded

in all thought so that there is a hall therein. . . (3-4).” This is an attachment that a person uses to

interact and invoke their responsibility on what matters to the person.

Duncan explains how isolation feels like to a person. Duncan notes that isolation is

“created by light wherefrom the shadows that are forms fall (6-7),” which shows the reverse

effect of light, instead of liberating one’s wrong, plunges to the shadows that control and dampen

the innocent individual. Duncan continues to show that the shadow devours “the First Beloved

whose flowers are flames lit to the Lady (9-10),” which means the pain and damage are
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continuing to destroy innocence of human being. Duncan’s word choice for the women “Queen

Under The Hill” is interesting because he chose the word “under” instead of “over,” to

emphasize that women are vulnerable to difficulty in life and that they are at a disadvantage to

prevail from a problem due to the weakness within themselves (11).

Duncan emphasize that unity would break the barrier of an individual’s limitation.

Duncan notes that “only a dream of the grass blowing east against the source of the sun” would

help to fight off isolation and barriers that one faces (14-15).” The imagination, Duncan is

saying, is a powerful tool that can destroy anything that comes in its way. In addition, unity and

imagination is what makes up “a children’s game of ring a round of roses,” which serves to bring

joy and belonging to prevent sadness. At the last two lines of the poem, Duncan dreamt that he

had always returned to the meadow or his “everlasting omen,” despite having to deal with

problems caused by chaos. Moreover, Duncan persists to consider the omen as a symbol for his

own existence that would not go away.

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