This
poem is written in a somewhat basic format, but it has so much to say. All but
a few lines end with punctuation. In the first stanza the third line has no
punctuation at the end and continues into the fourth line. This emphasizes the
"with every rain" phrase. I would say Rathburn wanted to set the
visual more clear and describe how the weather has caused most of this damage.
In the third stanza she uses enjambment from the second to third line and that
is to emphasize the attachment the people have to the house. "Around
us" is showing that the house crumbling has a huge effect on the people
who love it. The third line of the stanza reads “Of course, if you
were ours, we’d make repairs” and I think that is a metaphor for life. As
things fall apart in our lives we must adapt and reshape. Although there are
some things about ourselves that we will always keep with us just like the next
line talks about leaving untouched “some of your shaky grace”.
I agree with your stance on the house as a metaphor for the lives of men, although rather than a story of adaption vs preservation, I see it more as a message about finding beauty and charm in the imperfection of our lives, much like how we find beauty in the dilapidation of an old house. This is exemplified in the poems closing lines, which remind us to “hold dear / beautiful failures of our own design,/and love the lives we build and make them sweet, / which all the time are tumbling to our feet.”
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