A Parable of Doors ( and their construction) by James Agee: The poem and Analysis

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The poem

All things of life I term as many doors:

Entrance to each or all, that man may win

Who neither questions, nor no more implores

But that with mindless ease he be let in.

Such men are myriad and the door swings wide

And smoothly they swarm through, who care not why,

Initiate to those mysteries most denied

Those who most seek them: such a man am I.

I would expound those truths unalterably

Flayed to strict harmonies no mind has sung.

Mindful that truths are founded axially,

By too much mind all hinges I have sprung:

For it was thus: I lunged the brutal mind

Shoulder to hinge post, since the truth stood there;

Which neither yielded nor have I repined,

But lunge and batter and am in despair.

I cramped all gates of love forever shut,

All beauty is for ever wrecked for me,

And God all spiked with brain, and here is but

One door, whose certitude the others flee.

That door is death: and though my chief assault

And shrewdest labor I've assemble there,

Dark hinges no conjecture may default

Soon shall devolve me on a doorless air.

The Analysis 

"A Parable of Doors (and their construction)" by James Agee is a metaphorical exploration of life's mysteries and the limitations of human understanding. The poem uses the image of doors to represent various aspects of life, such as truth, love, beauty, and death.

The speaker begins by likening life to a series of doors, each offering entrance to different aspects of existence. However, the poem suggests that many people pass through these doors without questioning or seeking deeper understanding, content to simply move through life with "mindless ease."

The speaker then reflects on their own quest for deeper truths, describing themselves as someone who seeks the mysteries that others ignore. However, despite their efforts to understand these truths, the speaker finds themselves unable to grasp them fully. They describe attempting to force open the doors of truth with their "brutal mind," only to find themselves in despair as the doors remain closed to them.

The poem continues with the speaker lamenting the loss of love, beauty, and God due to their relentless pursuit of understanding. They describe feeling trapped by their own intellect, unable to find the peace and enlightenment they seek.

The poem concludes with the speaker acknowledging that death is the only door left to them, as all other doors have been closed or remain elusive. They express a sense of resignation, realizing that their pursuit of truth has led them to a place of despair and futility.

Overall, "A Parable of Doors" is a contemplative and introspective poem that explores the human quest for meaning and understanding. Through its use of metaphor and imagery, the poem invites readers to consider the limitations of human knowledge and the challenges of seeking deeper truths in life.