Spatial depths of being survive
The birth to death recurrences
Of feet dancing on earth of sand;
Vibrations of the dance survive
The sand; the sand, elect, survives
The dancer. He can find no source
Of magic adequate to bind
The sand upon his feet, his feet
Upon his dance, his dance upon
The diamond body of his being.
By Jean Toomer
I need help understand and analyzing this poem. I'm not quite sure what he is talking about at all? I know that he uses imagery and repetition a lot, are there any other literary devices? Thanks!
Follow the directions in here. Let me know what you come up with:
http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/poetry-explications/
so i think he talks about himself as a dancer who tries to find his idenity through his own work. And he doesn't want to sink into the sand. is there anything else?
I think this part indicates that he sees himself as a valuable part of something huge ... and he likes it!
... He can find no source
Of magic adequate to bind
The sand upon his feet, his feet
Upon his dance, his dance upon
The diamond body of his being.
what does it mean by his diamond body of his being?
I take "diamond" to mean the core of his being.
The poem you've provided is "Spatial depths of being survive" by Jean Toomer. It is a complex and abstract poem that explores themes of existence, movement, and the connection between the dancer and the sand. To help you understand and analyze it, let's break it down and explore some of its literary devices.
1. Imagery: The poem uses vivid imagery to create a sensory experience for the reader. For example, "feet dancing on earth of sand" evokes the image of dancing feet moving on sandy ground.
2. Repetition: The repetition of certain words and phrases emphasizes their significance and creates a rhythmic effect. In this poem, "survive" and "sand" are repeated to highlight their importance.
3. Paradox: The poem contains paradoxical statements that might seem contradictory but, upon closer examination, reveal deeper meaning. For instance, the line "The sand, elect, survives the dancer" suggests that the sand has a certain power or energy that surpasses the dancer's control.
4. Metaphor: The poem uses metaphorical language to convey abstract concepts. The "diamond body of his being" is a metaphor for the dancer's essence or core existence.
Now let's analyze the overall meaning of the poem. It explores the idea that the "spatial depths of being" continue to exist beyond birth and death. The recurrence of life, symbolized by "feet dancing on earth of sand," implies that life is a cyclical process. The vibrations of the dance, in turn, become absorbed by the sand, suggesting a connection between the dancer and the surrounding environment.
The poem also grapples with the limitations of the dancer's magic, which cannot fully bind the sand to his feet or his dance to his being. This suggests that despite the dancer's attempts to exert control, there are forces beyond his power, reminding him of his own mortality and insignificance in the grand scheme of things.
In essence, "Spatial depths of being survive" contemplates the transient and interconnected nature of existence while highlighting the limitations of human agency. It encourages reflection on the relationship between individuals and the world around them.