The Waking
Theodore Roethke 1908 (Michigan) – 1963 (Washington)
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
I feel my fate in what I cannot fear.
I learn by going where I have to go.
We think by feeling. What is there to know?
I hear my being dance from ear to ear.
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
Of those so close beside me, which are you?
God bless the Ground! I shall walk softly there,
And learn by going where I have to go.
Light takes the Tree; but who can tell us how?
The lowly worm climbs up a winding stair;
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
Great Nature has another thing to do
To you and me; so take the lively air,
And, lovely, learn by going where to go.
This shaking keeps me steady. I should know.
What falls away is always. And is near.
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
I learn by going where I have to go.
About this poem
"The Waking," a villanelle by Theodore Roethke, is a concise 19-line poem. It reflects on the cyclical nature of waking and sleeping, which symbolizes the broader cycle of life and death. The narrator delves into the significance of savoring life's moments and embracing the inevitability of death as an inherent part of existence.
Written on 1953
Submitted by JokerGem on May 19, 2024
- 56 sec read
- 3 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | AbA axA cda xdA cda abAA |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 831 |
Words | 189 |
Stanzas | 6 |
Stanza Lengths | 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4 |
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"The Waking" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 10 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/187891/the-waking>.
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