Pukjira Ittarut (Pim) Class: 1101

Death is the Destination

Poet: Robert Bly
Since the beginning of humans history, literature is not just an important
tool for human to reflect their ideas, thoughts or imaginations through it but,
also the base for humans civilization to build upon it. Poetry can be considered
as one of the most significant category of literature for human to express
themselves as it contains not only the beautiful language in itself but also vivid
imagery of humans imagination. Robert Bly is being recognized as one the
greatest poet as he wrote and translated many great poems in His life. The three
poems are chosen; "The Hermit", "When the Dumb Speak" and "Hurrying Away
from the Earth" all wrote by Robert Bly for the reason the way language in these
poems represent the feelings of human toward the death and war very vividly
through the use of imagery, symbolism and connotative meanings language. All
these poems were written during the Vietnam War so its mostly about death and
war as the author also used to be soldier.
The first poem is The Hermit by Robert Bly using imagery to create a
vivid picture. The first 2 lines he writes Darkness is falling through darkness /
Falling from ledge / to ledge. (Bly, 1967) which creates the picture of very deep

Pukjira Ittarut (Pim) Class: 1101

valley like it is in the hell or afterlifes world. And in this line There is a man
whose body is perfectly whole. that also makes the picture clearer about
Hermes; Greek god that will guide the souls of people to the world afterlife.
Darkness is gathered in folds / About his feet (Bly. 1967) gives a clear image of
the darkness at his feet and ready to bring the soul back. The storm can be
symbolized as war because storm is scary and can take away lives.
The resolution of the poem by these line When we see / Him, we grow
calm, / And sail on into the tunnels of joyful death. (Bly. 1967) is very interesting
in many ways. People wish at the end of their lives someone will bring us to a
better place and this Hermit, that the author is talking about, is the one who will
bring the souls to the better afterlife world. In conclusion, Bly is not only talking
that one day everyone is going to die but when it has arrived, even though we
may resent the death but we have no choice but to peacefully accept it just like
what Bly wrote; And sail on into the tunnels of joyful death. (Bly. 1967) When
war comes, the same as death, people can only accept its consequences without
the right to defend it from happen.
From the previous poem and When the Dumb Speak poem are written
by Bly in 1967, both of them mention about death during the Vietnam War. From
the start till the middle of the poem When the Dumb Speak, in my opinion is

Pukjira Ittarut (Pim) Class: 1101

talking about normal live and all of sudden thinking about the death. Though we
have up and down in our lives just like we are drifting in the sea just like in this
line Rising and falling, and the ocean (Bly. 1967), we never really think about
death as if never going to happen. The above line also reflects the time of war
that soldier is fighting in the sea and some have died as their body floating in the
ocean.
The line Or reading history of Bougainville. (Bly, 1967) is really worth
thinking because Bougainville, its a place that was under attacked by Japanese
during WWII. I think reading history of Bougainville trigger bad memories that
happen during war time in the authors mind because he used to be soldier
fighting during WWII, thats why he wrote about body in the sea. During war
time soldier must feel like they are on the verge of dying anytime and its scary to
think about it even though the war is over, thinking back about the war can still
be terrifying for everyone. What else can people do to escape from the war except
dying?
In the last poem Hurrying Away from the Earth, the title literally does
not make any sense until we finish the poem. In the first stanza, night
symbolizes as bad things that happen in our lives. This line And the stars
inexorable rising. (Bly, 1967) means that everyone cannot control everything in

Pukjira Ittarut (Pim) Class: 1101

their lives to go the way the want it to go. The second stanza in the poem which
Robert Bly writes:
Some men have pierced the chest with a long needle
To stop their heart from beating any more;
Another put blocks of ice in his bed
So he would die, women
Have washed their hair, and hung themselves
In the long braids, one climbed
A high tree above her house
And lawn and swallowed poisonous spiders. (Bly, 1967)
can be comprehend all together with the first stanza meaning that when bad
things happened, some people choose to die to escape the obstacle they face as if
they are worshipping the death that helps them out. This poem is written to
oppose the Vietnam War so I think people use death to escape from the cruelty of
the war.
These two lines by Robert Bly really different from the rest of the poem;
Now men cry when they hear storied of someone/ rising from the dead. (Bly.
4

Pukjira Ittarut (Pim) Class: 1101

1967) because now people are afraid of death which is the opposite of the first
two stanza that they are worshipping the death. So in my opinion, after the war
has passed and people start moving on, people do not want to talk about the war
anymore because it brings back bad memories and the thought of death to their
mind. The line The iron chairs scraping in asylums, (Bly, 1967) really
symbolizes the soldiers after the war that some of them has to go to asylum to
treat their mentalities problem due to the war that scarring peoples heart and
mind.
Blys use of poetic device such as imagery, symbolism and the connotative
meaning is very good. Bly is a veteran so his description of war and death is so
accurate by using imagery along with symbolism to create very vibrant pictures
of feelings toward death and war that it feels like the reader was experiencing it
by themselves. The connotative meaning of words and symbols are very deep and
interested because the poems were written during war time and wrote by
someone who was experiencing it before.

Pukjira Ittarut (Pim) Class: 1101

Reference

Bly, Robert (1967) Hurrying Away from the Earth. Poetry Foundation.
Retrieved on 16 June 2015 from
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/browse/110/3#!/20598171
Bly, Robert (1967) The Hermit. Poetry Foundation.
Retrieved on 16 June 2015 from
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/browse/110/3#!/20598174
Bly, Robert (1967) When the Dumb Speak. Poetry Foundation.
Retrieved on 16 June 2015 from
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/browse/110/3#!/20598170