Poem Analysis - The Cloak

Initial Impression and Tone

The poem The Cloak by Ezra Pound presents a haunting and introspective tone, exploring themes of mortality and love. The speaker addresses a beloved, urging them to choose between the speaker's love and the inevitable embrace of death. The mood shifts from a gentle, almost playful tone in the opening lines to a more urgent and somber plea by the end. The poem's form, with its irregular rhyme scheme and varied line lengths, supports the sense of a passionate, impromptu address.

Themes of Mortality and Love

The poem delves deeply into the themes of mortality and love. The speaker uses the imagery of a rose and its fleeting bloom to symbolize the transient nature of life and love. The rose-leaf that the beloved keeps will eventually wither, just as life will end. The speaker questions whether death will be a loving embrace, contrasting it with the speaker's own love. This contrast highlights the speaker's desire to be chosen over the inevitable end, emphasizing the intensity of their love. The phrase the Dark House likely refers to death, personified as a lover who will eventually claim the beloved. The speaker's urgency in asking Will the new roses miss thee? underscores the theme of mortality, suggesting that life and love are fleeting.

Symbols and Imagery

The cloak is a central symbol in the poem, representing both the speaker's love and the protection it offers against the inevitable passage of time. The speaker asks the beloved to prefer my cloak unto the cloak of dust, contrasting the speaker's love with the dust that covers the dead. This imagery emphasizes the speaker's desire to shield the beloved from the harsh realities of mortality. The cloak of dust also symbolizes the passage of time, which the speaker suggests is more untrustworthy than the speaker's own eyes. This comparison underscores the theme of mortality, as time inevitably leads to death. The phrase the last year lies further emphasizes the passage of time and the inevitability of death, as the past is forever lost to the cloak of dust.

Conclusion

The Cloak by Ezra Pound is a poignant exploration of love and mortality. Through vivid imagery and symbolic language, the speaker urges the beloved to choose love over the inevitable end. The poem's shifting tone and urgent pleas highlight the intensity of the speaker's feelings and the fleeting nature of life. The cloak serves as a powerful symbol of the speaker's love and protection, contrasting with the inevitable passage of time and the finality of death. Ultimately, the poem invites readers to consider the choices we make in love and the ways we confront our own mortality.