NIGHT
Your hand is heavy,Night,upon my brow
I bear no heart mercuric like the clouds,to dare Exarcerbation from your subtle plough.
Woman as a clam,on the far crescent
I saw your jealous eye quench the sea's
Fluorescence,dance on the pulse incessant
Of the waves.And I stood drained
Submitting like the sands,blood and brine Coursing to the roots.Night,you rained
Serrated shadows through dank leaves
Till,bathed in warm suffusion of your dappled cells Sensations pained me,faceless,silent night thieves.
Hide me now,when night children haunt the earth - I must hear none.These misted calls will yet
Undo me,naked,unbidden,at Night's muted birth
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Analysis
"Night" by Wole Soyinka is a poem that personifies the night as a powerful and enveloping force, exploring themes of submission, vulnerability, and the transformative nature of darkness. Here's an analysis of its key elements:
The poem opens with the speaker addressing the night as a heavy presence upon their brow, suggesting a sense of weight and burden. The comparison of the speaker's heart to clouds, which dare exacerbation from the night's subtle plough, highlights the vulnerability of human emotions in the face of darkness.
The night is further personified as a woman, described as a clam with a jealous eye that quenches the sea's fluorescence. This imagery evokes a sense of possessiveness and control, as the night exerts its influence over the natural world.
Read the themes and literary devices of this poem
The speaker describes themselves as standing drained, submitting to the night like the sands, with blood and brine coursing to the roots. This imagery suggests a sense of surrender and resignation to the inevitable passage of time and the dominance of darkness.
As the night rains serrated shadows through dank leaves, the speaker experiences sensations that pain them, likened to faceless, silent night thieves. This imagery conveys a sense of intrusion and violation, as the darkness infiltrates the speaker's senses and emotions.
The poem concludes with a plea for concealment, as the speaker seeks refuge from the haunting presence of the night children. The misted calls of the night threaten to undo the speaker, leaving them exposed and vulnerable at the muted birth of night.
Overall, "Night" is a haunting exploration of the power and mystery of darkness, as well as the vulnerability and submission that it evokes in the human experience. Through vivid imagery and evocative language, the poem invites readers to contemplate the profound impact of the night on the psyche and the soul.