I really liked “Still Life with Canary”- and only the
tiniest bit because the mining and bird song imagery reminded me of “The Hunger
Games” (I know, I made an allusion to pop culture in last week’s post too; I
apologize). I am fascinated with the idea that canaries used to be used to warn
miners of dangerous gas levels. The stark contrast between the brightly
colored, chirping birds and the dark, dingy setting of mine shafts is really
beautiful in a somber way, and though the poem doesn't paint such a picture, it
evokes one in my mind. I like the feeling the use of caesuras creates, as well
as the splitting of lines between stanzas. I found the abrupt ending of the
poem interesting, because it makes it seem like the speaker has run out of
oxygen while reading a note about oxygen conservation in the mines. As far as
what’s going on in the poem, it seems there is a hunter near the mines (“it was
like this” signifying he is a witness to the “loss”) who has just shot and
killed an animal- thus “the huntsman kneeling” and “the quiet of the
after-hunt”. As he is placing the carcass in a carrying bag- “a sackcloth
calm”- the accident occurs. At first I thought there was just a false alarm; the
“mountains to… misrepresent sound” made the miners incorrectly hear the
canaries, causing them to panic and pull the men out to safety. However, the
first line of the poem makes it clear that there was a loss of life. Perhaps
the misrepresentation of sound means that the canaries were barely heard or not
heard at all; then when some miners started collapsing, panic ensued and they
were all brought up to the surface.
Your interpretation of "the huntsman" is really interesting. I like how you read it at a more literal level; it's definitely feasible that there is a huntsman nearby the mine and his action's towards the animal mimic what is happening to the miners. I, however, read the "huntsman kneeling" as a metaphor for the guilt the foreman or the owners of the mine must feel for driving the miners into an unsafe area. I think McHugh specifically uses the word "kneeling" because it can be read on two levels: the hunter kneels down after he shoots his prey to finally get a closer look or the foreman who falls to his knees in desperation when he realizes the danger his miners face. Also, I read the "the quiet of the after -hunt" as that moment of shock when the world seems to stand still upon learning of some horrific tragedy. For "a sackcloth calm", I never thought of a hunter bagging his carcass for this line, but I think that interpretation really adds to the overall grimness of the poem. Just as if a person puts a sackcloth over his head and suffocates, the already dead animal is now completely lifeless.
ReplyDelete