The Road Poem Text
by Nancy Fotheringham Cato
I made the rising moon go back
behind the shouldering hill,
I raced along the eastern track
till time itself stood still.
The stars swarmed on behind the trees,
but I sped fast at they,
I could have made the sun arise,
and night turn back to day.
And like a long black carpet
behind the wheels, the night
unrolled across the countryside,
but all ahead was bright.
The fence-posts whizzed along wires
like days that fly too fast,
and telephone poles loomed up like years
and slipped into the past.
And light and movement, sky and road
and life and time were one,
while through the night I rushed and sped,
I drove towards the sun.
Critical Analysis
"The Road" by Nancy Fotheringham Cato is a poem that depicts the speaker's experience of driving at night and the sense of control and power that they feel as they speed along the road. However, the poem also touches on deeper themes of time, mortality, and the human desire for control. Here is a critical analysis of the poem:One of the key themes of the poem is the idea of control. The speaker describes their ability to make the moon retreat behind a hill and speed along the eastern track until time stands still. The image of the speaker controlling time and celestial bodies suggests a sense of power and agency that is often lacking in everyday life. However, this sense of control is also fleeting, as the speaker acknowledges that time, like the night, cannot be held back forever.
Another important theme of the poem is the passage of time and the fleeting nature of life. The speaker describes the passing of time through the metaphorical language of fence-posts and telephone poles, symbolizing days and years that slip away too quickly. The sense of urgency and speed conveyed by the poem reflects a desire to make the most of the limited time we have in life.
The poem also touches on the theme of mortality. The passing of time and the fleeting nature of life inevitably lead to thoughts of death and the impermanence of our existence. However, the speaker seems to find a sense of hope and optimism in the face of this inevitability. By driving "towards the sun," the speaker suggests a sense of forward motion and progress, even in the face of mortality.
The language and imagery of the poem are vivid and striking, conveying a sense of excitement and adventure as the speaker speeds along the road. The use of metaphors, such as the road as a "long black carpet" and the fence-posts and telephone poles as symbols of time, adds depth and meaning to the poem.
"The Road" by Nancy Fotheringham Cato is a powerful poem that explores themes of control, time, mortality, and the human desire for progress. The poem's language and imagery are both vivid and poignant, making it a memorable and thought-provoking work of poetry.
The Myth of Phaeton
The myth of Phaeton is implicitly referenced in "The Road" by Nancy Fotheringham Cato. In the poem, the speaker expresses a desire to control time and celestial bodies, stating "I could have made the sun arise, and night turn back to day." This echoes the myth of Phaeton, who was granted permission to drive the chariot of the sun across the sky by his father, the sun god Helios. However, Phaeton lost control of the chariot and nearly set the earth on fire, resulting in his own death.The speaker's desire to control time and celestial bodies in the poem can be seen as a form of hubris, echoing Phaeton's own overreaching. The poem suggests that such attempts at control are ultimately futile and dangerous, as time and mortality are inevitable. The reference to the myth of Phaeton adds depth and meaning to the poem, emphasizing its themes of control and mortality.
Stanza-wise Summary
here's a stanza-wise summary of "The Road" by Nancy Fotheringham Cato:Stanza 1: The speaker describes their ability to make the moon retreat behind a hill and speed along the eastern track until time stands still.
Stanza 2: The speaker continues to race along the road, describing how the stars move past them and how they could make the sun rise and turn night back into day.
Stanza 3: The speaker describes the road as a "long black carpet" unrolling behind their car as they speed along. The night is dark, but the road ahead is bright.
Stanza 4: The speaker uses metaphorical language to describe the passing of time, with fence-posts representing days that fly by too quickly and telephone poles symbolizing years that slip into the past.
Stanza 5: The speaker describes the merging of different elements -- light, movement, sky, road, life, and time -- into one as they rush through the night.
Stanza 6: The speaker concludes the poem by driving "towards the sun," suggesting a sense of optimism and hope for the future, even in the face of the fleeting nature of time and life.
Major Themes in The Road
The major themes of "The Road" by Nancy Fotheringham Cato are:Control: The poem explores the desire for control over time and celestial bodies, expressed through the speaker's ability to make the moon "go back" and the sun "arise." However, the poem also suggests that such attempts at control are ultimately futile and dangerous.
Mortality: The poem is concerned with the passage of time and the inevitability of mortality. The fence-posts and telephone poles are used as metaphors for the passage of time, while the sense of movement and speed emphasizes the fleeting nature of life.
Power: The poem conveys a sense of power and agency, as the speaker is able to control time and celestial bodies. However, this power is ultimately limited, highlighting the themes of control and mortality.
Time: Time is a central theme of the poem, explored through the repetition of the word "time" and the use of metaphors related to the passage of time, such as the fence-posts and telephone poles.
Hubris: The poem echoes the myth of Phaeton, suggesting that attempts to control time and celestial bodies are hubristic and ultimately doomed to fail.
"The Road" by Nancy Fotheringham Cato explores complex themes related to power, mortality, and time, using vivid imagery and metaphorical language to create a powerful and poignant effect.
Stylistic Analysis
The style of "The Road" by Nancy Fotheringham Cato can be described as lyrical and imagistic. The poem is composed of vivid images and metaphors that create a sense of movement, speed, and power. The use of repetition, alliteration, and rhyme add to the musicality of the poem and contribute to its overall effect.The poem is written in a clear and straightforward style, using simple language and syntax to convey complex ideas and emotions. The regular meter and rhyme scheme create a sense of order and structure that contrasts with the sense of movement and urgency conveyed by the imagery.
The style of "The Road" is well-suited to the poem's themes of control, time, and mortality. The clarity and simplicity of the language and structure allow the reader to focus on the vivid imagery and metaphorical language, creating a powerful and poignant effect.
Literary Devices
There are several poetic devices/literary devices used in "The Road" by Nancy Fotheringham Cato. Here are some of them:Metaphor: The poem contains several metaphors, such as the road being compared to a "long black carpet," and the fence-posts and telephone poles being compared to time and mortality.
Repetition: The phrase "I raced" is repeated in the first and second stanzas, emphasizing the sense of speed and urgency. The word "time" is repeated throughout the poem, highlighting its central importance to the themes explored.
Imagery: The poem is filled with vivid and striking imagery, such as the moon "rising" and "shouldering" behind a hill, and the stars "swarming" behind the trees.
Allusion: The poem contains an implicit allusion to the myth of Phaeton, who tried to control the sun and crashed his chariot, leading to his death.
Rhyme: The poem follows a regular rhyme scheme of ABAB, with a consistent iambic meter that contributes to the poem's sense of speed and movement.
Personification: The moon is personified as being able to "go back behind the shouldering hill," emphasizing its active role in the poem.
Simile: The stars are compared to "swarms" behind the trees, creating a sense of movement and activity.
The use of these literary devices contributes to the richness and depth of "The Road" by Nancy Fotheringham Cato, conveying complex ideas and emotions through vivid imagery and metaphorical language.
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