“The Promise” by Jane Hirshfield

Stay, I said

to the cut flowers.

They bowed

their heads lower.

 

Stay, I said to the spider,

who fled.

 

Stay, leaf.

It reddened,

embarrassed for me and itself.

 

Stay, I said to my body.

It sat as a dog does,

obedient for a moment,

soon starting to tremble.

 

Stay, to the earth

of riverine valley meadows,

of fossiled escarpments,

of limestone and sandstone.

It looked back

with a changing expression, in silence.

 

Stay, I said to my loves.

Each answered,

Always.

 

The Promise by Jane Hirshfield is an enlightening reflection on how everything, in each aspect of the poet’s life is bound to drift away, forever leaving her behind, devastated and alone, no matter the pleas she desperately makes.

The literary work is split into six stanzas, consisting of lines with varying lengths, and stanzas between two and six lines. Furthermore, almost every single line is completed using an end stop, as opposed to an enjambment, perhaps to signify the termination of numerous relationships, and crushing circumstances within the author’s life. To further exemplify this, each stanza begins with the word “stay,” thus representing the point of convergence, as well as a major theme within the poem. Finally, caesuras, or breaks within sentences, are used within the poem’s metre to create a linguistic pause as the lines are read. These separations of the words are used to symbolize the separation the poet experiences between herself, and other beings that once held a special place in her heart.

Similarly, in the first stanza, Hirshfield pleads for the flowers that have been cut to stay, yet “they bowed their heads lower,” consequently symbolizing that the flowers have wilted, and are approaching death. This is the first example of imagery in this poem, which creates a sinister and desolate mood throughout the opening stanza, which continues to develop throughout the entire work. 

Furthermore, in the third stanza, the poem reads “stay, leaf, it reddened, embarrassed for me and itself,” showcasing imagery related to nature once again, as well as the theme of death and impermanence. While leaves showcase new beginnings and vitality in the stage when they appear green and lively, the opposite is true when the color red takes hold, and the crisp fall air turns to the desolate, harsh winter. This color red symbolizes suffering, and the fleeting nature of everything within the poet’s life, thus expanding upon the melancholy mood for which the poem is well recognized.

In contrast, the fourth stanza offers an analysis of the poet’s own “body,” as the narrative diverges from the external aspects of nature, and instead shifts inward, to the poet’s perspective of herself. While in stanza three, nature was personified, the fourth stanza elaborates on the dehumanization of her body, relating it to a “dog.” This example of dehumanization suggests a lack of confidence and self-esteem on the author’s part, thus indicating the insecurities which prompt emotional hardships, especially when paired with damaging, temporary relationships. Through adding that the poet’s body “soon [started] to tremble,” it can be inferred that her fleeting self control may be attributed to the frequent feeling of being let down by others, something that inevitably impacts one’s confidence and self worth.

The fifth stanza of the poem is the longest of all, detailing more than one example of the impermanence of all objects and places within the poet’s life. She discusses a landscape, split into “valley meadows,” signifying a great abandonment by nature, with an entire landscape failing to make her feel at home. Consequently, the final word of the stanza, “silence,” compounds this idea of emotional isolation, with this feeling encapsulated within the blank, expressionless environment, which causes the poet to feel as though she has been abandoned by one of the only beautiful aspects of her life; nature.

The sixth and final stanza can be interpreted in many ways, as some relate the final “always,” as the belief that love is the one thing that never leaves, always remaining even after materialistic objects, such as flowers and leaves, have long since passed.

Yet, due to the italics placed on this word, some may suggest that the comment is seen as an example of irony in the mind of the poet, with her referencing how many lovers have lied, as they once promised to stay forever. This “promise” accounts for the title of the literary work, with Hirshfield emphasizing the deceit and pain that humans are capable of inflicting upon one another. This is exemplified through the phrase “each repeated,” as it reflects how each lover Hirshfield confided in had broken their promise to her by fleeing, leaving her emotionally crushed and devastated. Thus, while the first five stanzas of the poem are characterized by a sinister and desolate tone, the shift to italics in the sixth stanza may suggest that Hirshfield is not upset by the departure of nature, as it never made a promise to stay, while in contrast, her former lovers did.

With all considered, through the usage of numerous motifs, comparisons, allusions, and irony, Hirshfield elaborates upon the pain and suffering caused by the temporary nature of everything in life, from nature, to people themselves, signifying a recurring cycle of broken promises. With this being the main theme portrayed within this poem, readers should be encouraged to search within themselves to truly find and recognize the value that innately lies inside, as opposed to looking for this validation in affirmations from others. Through this, it is the poet’s hope that individuals can avoid the destruction of their self-esteem at the hands of others, and truly seek happiness for themselves, without the weight of disappointment and suffering, not a single human being deserves.

– Kelsey 🙂