Continuum
The moon rolls over the roof and falls behind
my house, and the moon does neither of these things,
I am talking about myself.
It’s not possible to get off to sleep or
the subject or the planet, nor to think thoughts.
Better barefoot it out the front
door and lean from the porch across the privets
and the palms into the washed-out creation,
a dark place with two particular
bright clouds dusted (query) by the moon, one’s mine
the other’s an adversary, which may depend
on the wind, or something.
A long moment stretches, the next one is not
on time. Not unaccountably the chill of
the planking underfoot rises
in the throat, for it’s part the night sky empties
the whole of it’s contents down. Turn on a bare
heel, close the door behind
on the author, cringing demiurge, who picks up
his litter and his tools and paces me back
to bed, stealthily in step.
my house, and the moon does neither of these things,
I am talking about myself.
It’s not possible to get off to sleep or
the subject or the planet, nor to think thoughts.
Better barefoot it out the front
door and lean from the porch across the privets
and the palms into the washed-out creation,
a dark place with two particular
bright clouds dusted (query) by the moon, one’s mine
the other’s an adversary, which may depend
on the wind, or something.
A long moment stretches, the next one is not
on time. Not unaccountably the chill of
the planking underfoot rises
in the throat, for it’s part the night sky empties
the whole of it’s contents down. Turn on a bare
heel, close the door behind
on the author, cringing demiurge, who picks up
his litter and his tools and paces me back
to bed, stealthily in step.
Summary
The speaker is unable to sleep so he goes outdoors, where he gets a cold chill from the planks on the porch. He leans across the porch out into the bushes to look at the sky with the moon behind the clouds, looking for poetic inspiration. The cold chill has spread all the way through his body to his throat. He goes back inside. It’s likely that he is the author. He is referring to himself as a cringing demiurge; that is, a creative force. He goes back to bed.
The speaker is unable to sleep so he goes outdoors, where he gets a cold chill from the planks on the porch. He leans across the porch out into the bushes to look at the sky with the moon behind the clouds, looking for poetic inspiration. The cold chill has spread all the way through his body to his throat. He goes back inside. It’s likely that he is the author. He is referring to himself as a cringing demiurge; that is, a creative force. He goes back to bed.
First stanza
The moon is commonly used as a symbol of change and the cyclical aspects of human nature in traditional cultures and poems. It is also used as a source of inspiration for many poems, so in "Continuum" the poet depicts the moon as inspiration The metaphorical comparison between the speaker and the moon in the first stanza shows the speaker's restlessness and inability to fall asleep as well as showing the speaker's problems with writer's block. The fact that the moon goes behind the house could represent loss of inspiration.
The moon is commonly used as a symbol of change and the cyclical aspects of human nature in traditional cultures and poems. It is also used as a source of inspiration for many poems, so in "Continuum" the poet depicts the moon as inspiration The metaphorical comparison between the speaker and the moon in the first stanza shows the speaker's restlessness and inability to fall asleep as well as showing the speaker's problems with writer's block. The fact that the moon goes behind the house could represent loss of inspiration.
Second stanza
The speaker's inability to focus is a source of frustration for both himself and the reader. The second stanza shows that he is suffering from insomnia and can't get to sleep. It also shows that he is perhaps preoccupied with "the subject or the planet," and other abstract things. The feels that he is not a source of originality and is instead someone who is only fashioning what some higher being has created. The last line of the stanza could function on its own but meanders its way into the next stanza. Because the first part of the sentence begins at the last line of the stanza, the reader expects a conclusive, definitive thought. However, the thought becomes sidetracked and the stream of consciousness meanders to turn into something else. The poem seems like a live recording of the speaker's mind.
The speaker's inability to focus is a source of frustration for both himself and the reader. The second stanza shows that he is suffering from insomnia and can't get to sleep. It also shows that he is perhaps preoccupied with "the subject or the planet," and other abstract things. The feels that he is not a source of originality and is instead someone who is only fashioning what some higher being has created. The last line of the stanza could function on its own but meanders its way into the next stanza. Because the first part of the sentence begins at the last line of the stanza, the reader expects a conclusive, definitive thought. However, the thought becomes sidetracked and the stream of consciousness meanders to turn into something else. The poem seems like a live recording of the speaker's mind.
Third stanza
In the third stanza, when the speaker leans out over the bushes (which symbolize the natural world), he is seeking something from the natural world: inspiration.
In the third stanza, when the speaker leans out over the bushes (which symbolize the natural world), he is seeking something from the natural world: inspiration.
Fourth stanza
The inspiration that the speaker was looking for previously is there but the clouds are in front of it to show that he has not fully realized it. The ‘query’ in brackets shows that he is questioning the strength of his own description of the clouds being dusted by the moon. Shows that he is unsure of wether he is still suffering the effects of writer’s block. The comparison between the two clouds further explains the (query) in the previous line which shows that he is just outside, spouting poetic images. The fact that he mentions the wind shows that the poet is not in control and could represent the randomness of his thoughts.
The inspiration that the speaker was looking for previously is there but the clouds are in front of it to show that he has not fully realized it. The ‘query’ in brackets shows that he is questioning the strength of his own description of the clouds being dusted by the moon. Shows that he is unsure of wether he is still suffering the effects of writer’s block. The comparison between the two clouds further explains the (query) in the previous line which shows that he is just outside, spouting poetic images. The fact that he mentions the wind shows that the poet is not in control and could represent the randomness of his thoughts.
Fifth stanza
The fact that the next moment "is not on time" after "a long moment stretches" shows that the speaker may be daydreaming (during the "long moment") and may have caught himself doing so when the next moment was "not on time". This shows the randomness of the speaker's thoughts and how is mind is wandering.
The fact that the next moment "is not on time" after "a long moment stretches" shows that the speaker may be daydreaming (during the "long moment") and may have caught himself doing so when the next moment was "not on time". This shows the randomness of the speaker's thoughts and how is mind is wandering.
Sixth stanza
The focus of the poem shifts in the sixth stanza. Here the poem becomes more definite and suggests a conclusion or resolution. Previously when the speaker has done anything, he has done it in such a way that suggests vagueness, half-heartedness and awkwardness, but also in a way that makes us incredibly aware of his state of mind. The fact that the "night sky empties" all of its "contents down" may suggest that the speaker has finally discovered inspiration, as it was previously the moon which symbolized inspiration.
The focus of the poem shifts in the sixth stanza. Here the poem becomes more definite and suggests a conclusion or resolution. Previously when the speaker has done anything, he has done it in such a way that suggests vagueness, half-heartedness and awkwardness, but also in a way that makes us incredibly aware of his state of mind. The fact that the "night sky empties" all of its "contents down" may suggest that the speaker has finally discovered inspiration, as it was previously the moon which symbolized inspiration.
Seventh stanza
In the seventh stanza, it is revealed that the speaker is the author. The fact that the speaker goes back inside to bed shows that he has found inspiration and he is going back into his creative space and closes the door so that he is uninterrupted.
In the seventh stanza, it is revealed that the speaker is the author. The fact that the speaker goes back inside to bed shows that he has found inspiration and he is going back into his creative space and closes the door so that he is uninterrupted.