The Dragonfly-Mother-Denise Levertov--cool poem :]

[xoMelxo92]

I was setting out from my house
to keep my promise

but the Dragonfly-Mother stopped me.

I was to speak to a multitude
for a good cause, but at home

the Dragonfly-Mother was listening
not to a speech but to the creak of
stretching tissue,
tense hum of leaves unfurling.

Who is the Dragonfly-Mother?
What does she do?

.....



Anyone have any clue what this poem means??? I would like to know how some people interpret this poem.. It's a very interesting poem but, for the life of me, I cannot understand what the author is trying to convey.
;)

[Virgil]

This year I exposed myself to some Denise Levertov and found her work very favorable. This is no different, a very good poem. I think the dragon fly is personification of her imagination and creativity. Go with that. I'm sure this is for your homework. :p

[Pryderi Agni]

I think the dragon fly is personification of her imagination and creativity.

Pardon me if I seem to disagree, but to me the Dragonfly-Mother reads more like a narcissistic/solipsistic part of the author (ergo, her stress on 'good cause') that wishes her to remain at home and observe her own flowering, so to speak.

But if you have one choice, please go with any one.

[quasimodo1]

While I do not disagree entirely with Virgil, Levertov refers here (in my view) to another reality of nature, communication between insects, which gives perspective to the meeting of humans that will shortly be her reality. Gives "chirping" an ironic treatment.

[Virgil]

Pardon me if I seem to disagree, but to me the Dragonfly-Mother reads more like a narcissistic/solipsistic part of the author (ergo, her stress on 'good cause') that wishes her to remain at home and observe her own flowering, so to speak.

But if you have one choice, please go with any one.


While I do not disagree entirely with Virgil, Levertov refers here (in my view) to another reality of nature, communication between insects, which gives perspective to the meeting of humans that will shortly be her reality. Gives "chirping" an ironic treatment.

It's possible my reading was wrong. Unfortunately the poem is now snipped for copywrite reasons and I can't re-read it.

[xoMelxo92]

http://laurayoung.typepad.com/dragonslaying/2007/11/the-dragonfly-m.html
There's the link for the poem, in case you wanted to see it again.
And thanks guys for your input.

I was thinking that the dragonfly-mother was Levertovs muse or something of the sort.
But then she talks about water and then she talks about earth, so i was thinking she means something about two different worlds/people.
It is for my homework haha, but I find it really interesting for the fact that I don't fully understand it at all. I normally am good with poems, but there are so many aspects of this poem...
Also, does anyone know what she means by "i broke my promise"...is that just her saying that she stayed home instead of going out somewhere?

Thanks again!

[Janine]

Wow, I love her poetry and have for a good many years - dates back to my college days. I have a favorite and will have to find it online to share with all of you. The one you have posted I had not heard of but I really like it a lot. She used a lot of personification and symbolism in her poems...very visually oriented - I like that.

[Pryderi Agni]

Also, does anyone know what she means by "i broke my promise"...is that just her saying that she stayed home instead of going out somewhere?

Thanks again!

Yes, it does. See, I think she gave in to the solipsistic part of her that is represented by the dragonfly, and her subsequent guilt seems to her to be the breaking of a promise.