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Annotated by:
- Coulehan, Jack
- Date of entry: Jul-05-1999
Summary
The poet contemplates (metaphorically) an abandoned, overgrown garden. "What god is proud / of this garden / of dead flowers, this underwater / grotto of humanity?" he asks. He sees limbs waving, faces drooping, and voices clawing. He recognizes great medical figures like Charcot and Alzheimer. There are no gardeners. As he turns away, he tries to take solace in the thought that somewhere "there is another / garden, all dew and fragrance." [30 lines]
Primary Source
Twentieth Century Anglo-Welsh Poetry
Publisher
Seren (Poetry Wales)
Place Published
Bridgend, Wales
Edition
1997
Editor
Dannie Abse
Commentary
The title of this poem locates the garden of the last phase of life. The passage of time has turned eyes once clear, now "cloudy with rheum." The only comfort is the thought that the apparent "brambles" might, in fact, be an initiation or a transitional phase before entering "another / garden, all dew and fragrance."