Poem Analysis - He Reproves The Curlew

Introduction: A Plea for Emotional Silence

Yeats' "He Reproves The Curlew" is a short, poignant poem that expresses a desire for emotional tranquility through the silencing of nature. The poem's tone is initially pleading, almost desperate, shifting slightly to a weary resignation in the final line. It’s a personal lament, where the sound of the curlew’s cry acts as a trigger for painful memories. The speaker seeks solace not by confronting the source of their pain, but by attempting to shut out the external world that reminds them of it.

Echoes of Lost Love: The Theme of Remembrance

One dominant theme in the poem is the enduring power of remembrance, particularly in relation to lost love. The curlew's cry doesn't simply evoke a memory; it intensely resurrects the past, conjuring "passion-dimmed eyes and long heavy hair/That was shaken out over my breast." This vivid imagery suggests a moment of intimacy and intense emotion, now presumably lost. The poem develops this theme by demonstrating how external stimuli – in this case, a natural sound – can unlock deeply buried feelings, causing the speaker considerable distress.

Wound and Isolation: Exploring Emotional Pain

The poem also explores the theme of emotional pain and the speaker's resulting isolation. The command to the curlew – "cry no more in the air" – reveals a desire to shut out the world, to create a space free from reminders of past suffering. The speaker isn't necessarily angry at the bird; rather, the curlew's cry represents the painful memories that haunt them. This is further emphasized by the phrase "There is enough evil in the crying of wind," which suggests the speaker is already burdened by internal turmoil and seeks to minimize further emotional disturbance from external sources. By separating themselves from nature, the speaker unfortunately may also be isolating themselves from a potential source of comfort or healing.

The Curlew: A Symbol of Lingering Sorrow

The curlew itself functions as a potent symbol. It's not just a bird; it's a messenger of sorrow, a tangible representation of the speaker's lingering grief. Its cry is inextricably linked to the memory of the lost love and the painful emotions associated with it. By asking the curlew to direct its cries "only to the water in the West," the speaker is perhaps attempting to confine the sorrow, to limit its reach and impact. The West, often associated with endings and death in Irish folklore, could further symbolize the finality of the relationship and the speaker's attempts to contain the pain within a specific, geographically defined space. It might be interpreted that the West is the land of dead and the speaker wants only dead people to hear Curlew's cries as the speaker want's to avoid living peoples hearing these cries.

Concluding Thoughts: A Quiet Despair

In conclusion, "He Reproves The Curlew" is a powerful expression of grief and the desperate measures one might take to find solace from emotional pain. The poem utilizes vivid imagery and symbolism to illustrate the enduring power of memory and the isolating nature of suffering. While the poem is brief, it resonates with a profound sense of quiet despair, leaving the reader to contemplate the speaker's internal struggle and the impossibility of truly silencing the echoes of the past. The poem’s significance lies in its ability to capture a universally relatable feeling – the desire to escape the painful reminders of loss, even if only for a moment.