Poem Analysis - An Evening

Introduction: A Lament for Lost Love

Gwendolyn Brooks' "An Evening" is a concise and poignant elegy, capturing the quiet despair following the death of love. The poem begins with serene imagery of the natural world, only to be juxtaposed with the somber reality of lost affection. A pervasive sense of resignation and melancholy permeates the poem, yet there's also a delicate beauty in its simplicity. The mood shifts from observation of nature to a profound and personal grief, leaving the reader with a sense of irreparable loss.

Nature's Beauty and Emotional Desolation

One of the main themes in "An Evening" is the stark contrast between the beauty of the natural world and the emotional desolation experienced by the speaker. The opening lines paint a picture of a serene sunset with a "mounded cloud" and a "diamond evening-star," followed by the "sad blue hills afar." This imagery creates a sense of peace and tranquility. However, this peaceful setting is immediately disrupted by the phrase "Love in his shroud." This juxtaposition highlights the profound disconnect between the external beauty and the internal sorrow. The vivid imagery of the sunset and star now seem almost mocking in their indifference to the speaker’s grief.

The Mortality of Love

The poem grapples significantly with the theme of mortality, specifically the mortality of love. The line "Love in his shroud" directly personifies love as being dead or dying. The subsequent lines, "Scarcely a tear to shed; / Hardly a word to say," emphasize the finality and the emptiness that follows the end of a relationship. This suggests a love that has faded not with a dramatic outburst, but with a quiet, almost inevitable decline. The phrase "Sweet Love dead" reinforces this idea, presenting love not as a fiery passion, but as something delicate and vulnerable, susceptible to ending like "the end of a summer day."

Symbols of Evening and Loss

Recurring symbols within the poem enhance its overall message of loss. The "evening" itself serves as a potent symbol of ending and closure. Just as a day comes to an end, so too has the speaker's love. The "sunset" and the fading light further reinforce this idea of diminishing hope and the gradual disappearance of something once vibrant. The "shroud" is a particularly powerful image, directly associated with death and burial, emphasizing the irreversibility of the loss. Is the lack of tears ("Scarcely a tear to shed") a sign of profound grief that has rendered the speaker numb, or a sign that the love died long before its formal burial?

Conclusion: The Quiet Acceptance of Loss

"An Evening" is a brief but deeply resonant exploration of love's mortality. Through its serene yet somber imagery and its understated tone, the poem conveys the quiet acceptance of loss. Gwendolyn Brooks masterfully uses the natural world as a backdrop against which the stark reality of emotional pain is brought into sharp relief. Ultimately, the poem's significance lies in its ability to capture the universal experience of heartbreak with simplicity and profound emotional depth, reminding us that even the most beautiful settings cannot mask the sting of a love that is gone.