Poetry Analysis

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I wheel my bike under

Original Poetry

Translation

I wheel my bike under

I push my bike under

the cathedral’s1 dark overhang.

the cathedral’s dark covering.

Seized by a rictus2 of the wind,

The wind's grip makes the trees lose their rain.

the trees shed rain.

Rain flows down

Rain slides down 5

Wale Street’s smooth, steep slope:

Wale Street’s sleek, steep fall:

the air is like a loud ocean around

air is an ocean booming round

tall, bare walls.

high, bare walls.

My hands are cold on

My hands freeze on

the bike’s crossbar,

the bike’s crossbar, 10

search for the wet seat, play

seek the sodden saddle, toy

with the freezing bell:

with the ice-cold bell:

I suddenly feel

I am suddenly fugitive,

like a runaway,

homeless and cornered in

without a home, trapped in

a caprice3 of pressure and cloud. 15

a whim of weather and clouds.

Then they cough and I know

Then I hear coughing and realize

I am not alone:

far back, against the great, nailed doors,

far back, against the large, nailed doors,

they huddle: troglodytes4

they gather: cave-dwellers

of night’s alcoves, 20

of night’s hiding places,

daytime’s shopping-malls,

daytime’s shopping centers,

parking lots, sparse green lawns,

municipal benches where

public benches where

lunchtime’s city workers, stripping down

city workers, during lunch, unpack

their food-packs, sit 25

their meals, sitting

in sober rows. 5

in neat rows.

I fear to turn around,

I am afraid to turn around,

stiffen in expectation

become tense expecting

of the inevitable tugging at my sleeve,

the usual pull at my sleeve,

wonder if I have any coins, 30

wonder if I have any money,

wonder why they do not bicker,

wonder why they aren’t arguing,

as they always do,

like they usually do,

cursing their mother’s wombs

cursing their birth

in tired robots’ tones,

in tired, robotic voices,

why only this 35

why only this

curious, chuckling, liquid sound

strange, laughing, flowing sound

drawing me around.

makes me turn around.

She has the usual wrappings on

She wears the usual layers on

stick-thin, brittle shins,

thin, fragile legs,

patchy-purple, quietly rotting 40

skin discolored and quietly decaying

methylated spirits6 skin:

from drinking spirits:

doekie7 of incongruous8 elegance crowns

a headscarf of unexpected elegance sits on

the scabrous, half-bald skull.

her rough, half-bald head.

Her man, grotesque

Her man, as grotesque

as a gargoyle9 roused from stone, 45

as a stone gargoyle come to life,

cradles an infant on his lap,

holds a baby on his lap,

feeds it from a bottle with a teat,

feeds it from a bottle with a nipple,

makes the chuckling, crooning sounds

makes the laughing, singing sounds

that turned me round,

that made me turn,

that hold me now spellbound. 50

that keep me captivated.

‘Good morning, sir,’ he says,

and his voice is grave

and his voice is serious

as a paterfamilias10 in his lounge.

like a family head in his living room.

Only the odd man out,

Only the outsider,

leaning against the harsh grey walls, 55

leaning against the hard grey walls,

looks at me with carefully indifferent eyes,

looks at me with carefully neutral eyes,

finding me, alien on his home ground

seeing me as a stranger in his territory

wishing the clouds would break and I be gone,

hoping the clouds would clear and I would leave,

ringing my bike’s absurd, small bell.

ringing my bike’s silly, small bell.

Explanation

This poem paints a vivid picture of urban life and the stark realities of homelessness. The narrator, while wheeling their bike under the cathedral's overhang, is caught in a moment of reflection as the wind and rain create a dramatic backdrop. The poem captures the sense of being trapped and vulnerable, as the narrator feels like a fugitive in the city's harsh environment. The presence of homeless individuals, described as 'troglodytes' of the city's hidden spaces, adds a layer of social commentary. The poem contrasts the lives of city workers and the homeless, highlighting the disparity and indifference in urban settings. The imagery of the homeless woman and her partner, who is described as a gargoyle, evokes a sense of empathy and connection, as the narrator is drawn to their humanity despite the harsh conditions. The poem ends with a reflection on alienation and the desire to escape, symbolized by the ringing of the bike's bell.

Word Dictionary15

Word	In English	Plain (English)	Pron.
cathedral’s	large church's	belonging to a large church	kuh-thee-druhlz
rictus	grimace	a fixed, grim smile or expression	rik-tuhs
troglodytes	cave dwellers	people living in seclusion or primitive conditions	trog-luh-dyts
caprice	whim	a sudden change or impulse	kuh-prees
doekie	headscarf	a small scarf worn on the head	doo-kee
incongruous	out of place	not in harmony with surroundings	in-kong-groo-uhs
gargoyle	stone creature	a grotesque carved figure	gahr-goyl
paterfamilias	head of family	male head of a family or household	pay-ter-fuh-mil-ee-uhs
methylated spirits	denatured alcohol	alcohol made undrinkable by adding chemicals	meth-uh-lay-tid spir-its
alcoves	recesses	small, recessed sections of a room or area	al-kohvz
sodden	soaked	thoroughly wet	sod-uhn
scabrous	rough	having a rough surface	skab-ruhs
fugitive	runaway	someone running away or escaping	fyoo-juh-tiv
cradles	holds gently	holds or supports tenderly	kray-duhlz
spellbound	captivated	completely fascinated or absorbed	spel-bound

Poet & Context

Poet—

EraContemporary

The poet of this piece is unknown. The poem appears to be a contemporary work, reflecting modern urban life and its challenges.

WhenContemporary

WhyThe poem reflects themes of urban alienation, homelessness, and the stark contrasts between different social classes. It captures a moment of introspection and societal observation, possibly inspired by the poet's own experiences or observations in a city environment.

FormFree verse

Themes & More

Themes

urban alienationhomelessnesssocial disparityempathy

Literary devices

imagery: vivid descriptions of the urban environment and weathermetaphor: air is described as an oceanpersonification: wind is given human-like qualitiescontrast: between city workers and homeless individualssymbolism: the bike's bell represents a desire to escape