Poem Analysis - In The Middle Of This Century

Introduction: A Moment of Connection Amidst Uncertainty

Yehuda Amichai's "In the Middle of This Century" is a poignant reflection on love and connection in a world marked by transience and uncertainty. The poem's tone is both intimate and melancholic, a blend of tenderness and a deep awareness of mortality. There's a feeling of urgency, as if the speaker grasps at a fleeting moment of beauty knowing it cannot last. This sense of ephemerality underscores the poem’s exploration of love as a temporary solace against the backdrop of historical and personal impermanence. The mood shifts subtly between moments of sensual appreciation and a somber acknowledgement of human destiny.

Historical Context: Mid-Century Apprehension

While the poem doesn't explicitly detail historical events, the phrase "In the middle of this century" carries significant weight. Written by an Israeli poet, it evokes the mid-20th century, a period scarred by World War II and the Holocaust, as well as the establishment and early struggles of the State of Israel. This context infuses the poem with a sense of anxiety and the awareness of collective trauma. The impermanence of life and the ever-present threat of violence likely shaped Amichai's focus on the preciousness of human connection, offering a potential reading of the poem as a refuge from wider historical pressures.

Theme: The Fleeting Nature of Love

One of the central themes of the poem is the fleeting nature of love. The opening lines, "In the middle of this century we turned to each other / With half faces and full eyes / like an ancient Egyptian picture / And for a short while," immediately establish a sense of temporality. The comparison to an Egyptian picture suggests a timeless quality, but it's undercut by the phrase "for a short while," highlighting the transience of the moment. The act of stroking hair "in the opposite direction to your journey" symbolizes a futile attempt to hold back time and prevent separation. The poem is filled with images of passing: a "passing face," a world "falling asleep," and a journey with "leather straps for a long journey." These details contribute to the feeling that the relationship is destined to end, and that its beauty lies precisely in its ephemeral quality.

Theme: Mortality and the Acceptance of Fate

The awareness of mortality is another prominent theme. The speaker describes touching his lover's "flesh, prophet of your end," indicating a deep understanding of human impermanence. The lines, "The earth drinks men and their loves / Like wine, / To forget. / It can't," present a bleak view of existence, suggesting that even the earth, which absorbs life and love, cannot escape the weight of mortality. This grim acceptance is further reinforced by the simile comparing their restlessness to "the contours of the Judean hills," implying a perpetual state of unease and a lack of lasting peace. The praise of "mortal hips" and "passing face" acknowledges the beauty of the body precisely because it is transient and will inevitably fade.

Theme: The Intermingling of Beauty and Destruction

The poem presents a complex interplay between beauty and destruction. The lines "Lovely is the world rising early to evil, / Lovely is the world falling asleep to sin and pity, / In the mingling of ourselves, you and I, / Lovely is the world" suggest that beauty exists even in the presence of evil and sin. The world's loveliness is not despite these negative aspects but somehow intertwined with them. The "mingling of ourselves" mirrors this duality; the connection between the lovers is beautiful, but it occurs within a world characterized by suffering and impermanence. This juxtaposition creates a sense of bittersweetness, acknowledging that joy and sorrow are inseparable parts of the human experience.

Symbolism and Imagery: Dust, Journeys, and the Body

Several recurring symbols and vivid images enrich the poem's meaning. The image of dust on the table at which they "did not eat" symbolizes the passage of time and the eventual decay of all things. The act of writing the lover's name in the dust is both an assertion of their existence and a recognition of its impermanence. Journeys, implied by "leather straps" and references to "towns where nobody stops," represent the inevitable flow of time and the transient nature of human life. The repeated emphasis on the body – stroking hair, touching flesh, praising hips and face – underscores the physical connection between the lovers and the tangible reality of their existence, while simultaneously highlighting its fragility and eventual demise.

Conclusion: A Song of Connection in a Transient World

"In the Middle of This Century" is a powerful meditation on love, loss, and the human condition. Amichai masterfully blends sensuality and melancholy to create a poem that resonates with a deep sense of awareness of the fleeting nature of life. The poem’s significance lies in its ability to capture a moment of connection amidst a world characterized by uncertainty and impermanence, ultimately suggesting that even in the face of mortality, love and beauty can offer a temporary respite from the inevitable.