I find it hard to interpret this poem, Jeremy, even though I like it very much. On one level, we have a depiction of a simple scene on a river, with a man in a boat and a towhead, and that scene is clear and vivid. On another level, that man seems to be making a journey - possibly his journey through life - and wishes to find something as reliable as a towhead (a mental towhead?) to guide him because what he envisions can determine how and where goes.
I think the speaker is questioning what they see. If the mind must rely on the eyes, are the eyes reliable? Or are the eyes more reliable than the mind filtering what it sees?
I grew up near the Chesapeake Bay, and I found being among towhead islands helped me think about my own subjectivity, it's limitations, and how their is a world beyond my needs. I tried to decentre myself, which is probably what you are encountering here with the speaker and subject blurring/detaching/reattaching.
Thanks for that, Jeremy. I'll read it again now, bearing your insights in mind.
Generally, I find that poems that cause me difficultly are often the ones I like most at a later stage because I put the effort into seeing what's in them.
I find it hard to interpret this poem, Jeremy, even though I like it very much. On one level, we have a depiction of a simple scene on a river, with a man in a boat and a towhead, and that scene is clear and vivid. On another level, that man seems to be making a journey - possibly his journey through life - and wishes to find something as reliable as a towhead (a mental towhead?) to guide him because what he envisions can determine how and where goes.
Well, that's what I've come up with so far!
I think the speaker is questioning what they see. If the mind must rely on the eyes, are the eyes reliable? Or are the eyes more reliable than the mind filtering what it sees?
I grew up near the Chesapeake Bay, and I found being among towhead islands helped me think about my own subjectivity, it's limitations, and how their is a world beyond my needs. I tried to decentre myself, which is probably what you are encountering here with the speaker and subject blurring/detaching/reattaching.
Thanks for that, Jeremy. I'll read it again now, bearing your insights in mind.
Generally, I find that poems that cause me difficultly are often the ones I like most at a later stage because I put the effort into seeing what's in them.
It's absolutely my pleasure, Martin. And I'm very grateful you care enough to ask me and to re-read. 🙏