Can anyone tell me what this poem means?

Question

And…and so it goes:
As the thread outlasts the spool,
So the thorn, the rose.
Time observes its rule:
Each instant leaps back into
The dark lilied pool.
It sprang from. Each blue
Tile along the garden wall
Ends where it has to go
End, in a thin scrawl
Of grout that marks out its grave.
Summer comes to fall.
Though breathing and brave,
The sentence stops, that must burn
The air in its cave.
Thus our great concern –
Feeling shut in by the wall
Of our own pattern –
Seems quite natural:
Even with some makeshift plan,
How to keep it all
Going, how to fan
The embers of aftermath
Up now into an
Even flame – not wrath
Nor sudden lust yielded to –
But light on a path
That would continue
Until some kind of an end
Crept up into view
From around the bend
Or straight toward us from the dark
Who but would extend
That path, keep the spark
Still left glowing, nursed along
A last walk through stark
Finality? (Strong
Last words will count more than fond

Answer 1

thread, thorns: the outward effects of our decisions last longer than the decisions we make. time observes through air in its cave speaks of everything done goes into history, into the large abyss of nothing more than a memory, a shadow in the past that disappears. Thus our great concern through stark finality to me speaks of being held in bondage on earth by our own cultures, habits, lifestyles and for what? A reason for life, a reason for existence besides a predictable mundane life. A life looking for light on the dark path of life. Strong last words through fond to me speaks of how we finish life is more important than how we started it.

Answer 2

I am not going to give you a full analysis of this poem, but I will give you a few questions to guide you.

What imagery does the author use? What purpose does this imagery serve?

What literary devices does the author employ and why?

How does the line division effect the flow of the poem? Why would the author choose to write the poem this way?

Pay attention to the author and what time period he/she was from. Remember to always relate everything back to the author's purpose!

Good luck!

Answer 3

The poem tells how all life evolves and comes to an end but that it is human nature to try to extend that life for as long as we can, not wanting it to end because the end is so final.

Answer 4

this is a real good poem. very scriptive.
it seems like it means someones life.

Answer 5

Its about time and its effect on us - our transience and limitations.