The Garden

The Garden, a poem by Ezra Pound, opens up by saying, “Like a skein of loose silk blown against a wall, she walks by the railing of a path in Kensington Gardens, she is dying piecemeal of a sort of emotional anemia.”  I think the statement emotional anemia is so intriguing. This woman is obviously suffering a great deal emotionally and it makes you want to continue reading to find out what has her so torn up on the inside.

As Pound continues he writes, “And round about there is a rabble, of the filthy, sturdy, unkillable infants of the very poor. They shall inherit the earth” I do not understand this sentence whatsoever and it is just over my head. I think that goes along with what we said about poetry a couple of days ago, just because you do not understand something does not mean you cannot appreciate it.

The last stanza says, “In her is the end of breeding. Her boredom is exquisite and excessive. She would like some one to speak to her, and is almost afraid that I will commit that indiscretion.” I think this is such good wording, almost afraid that I will commit that indiscretion. This woman is obviously deeply tormented and she is lonely but afraid to reach out and talk or be talked to.

This poem makes me pray that I will never be too timid to approach someone that looks like they are lonely or desiring someone to talk to or listen to them. I think it is so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the day that we brush aside the emotions of people around us, but God has called us to help those in need and that should be our number one concern.