Forgotten Language
Forgotten Language - meaning Summary
Lost Speech with Nature
The poem recalls a lost capacity to understand and commune with nature. The speaker remembers once conversing with flowers, insects, birds and even snow, implying a former intimacy and wonder toward the natural world. The repeated "once" creates a sense of nostalgia and distance, while the final questions convey bewilderment and longing for that vanished sensitivity. It reads as a quiet lament for innocence and a vanished way of perceiving life.
Read Complete AnalysesOnce I spoke the language of the flowers, Once I understood each word the caterpillar said, Once I smiled in secret at the gossip of the starlings, And shared a conversation with the housefly in my bed. Once I heard and answered all the questions of the crickets, And joined the crying of each falling dying flake of snow, Once I spoke the language of the flowers. . . . How did it go? How did it go?
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