The first thing that comes to mind upon reading this poem is a sense of calmness
and relaxation. Described well is an attempt at reminiscing at one's past, and
how it may have affected life at present. It is a poem of truth, and the joy
that comes with the realization of one's self, the inner being. In the poem is a
character who has injured himself during work, and has taken a recess to tend to
the wound. During this time the character is able to find it within himself to
discover a truth within that reveals more to him of his life than his life
itself could do, having seen its entirety. It gives evidence of having lived two
separate lives, one on top of the other, but neither owning the upper hand at
any time. It is a poem of change, and how things never change as they are
expected to do, nor do they change before our eyes as we would believe, but
instead change us in a way that makes us blind to ourselves. "As the
fingers of the factory owner's son, That knew a grip for books and tennis";
here is described the man's childhood, and here, "As well as one for iron
and leather,-", is described his adulthood, with responsibilities and
duties to perform. The style of Hart Crane is nearly unmatched. Here he uses a
free verse structure, written as a Blackwood Article, in a story that depicts an
event which is the theme and the subject of the poem. He uses little rhyme, with
any structure, but the words flow from frame to frame as though a rhyme scheme
had been used quite frivolously. There is also a great deal of imagery. A good
amount of emphasis is placed upon the hands, the lifeblood of our interaction
with the world, and as the hands are described against the sunlight we can
nearly see a picture perfect masterpiece within our minds that helps us along in
the story. There is also a well hidden hint at imagery here; "His own hands
seemed to him Like wings of butterflies", means quite clearly, that he has
most recently undergone a form of metamorphosis. Any child can see similarities
between the hands and the wings of a butterfly, but it is taken much further
here, and stands for a change that has taken place in his life. "The knots
and notches," is more great imagery here, describing the characteristics of
his hands (scars, old wounds) that stand for who he has become, and what he
takes pride in. And in the end, the one hand does win over the other. "The
larger, quieter hand", held by the hand recently injured from work in his
Father's factory, holds something more dear and meaningful to him; a memory of a
lost childhood perhaps. This all makes for quite a serene mood, an atmosphere of
peace and rest, and joy at having discovered oneself again. "And as the
bandage was tightened The two men smiled into each other's eyes."
Obviously, as can easily be seen now, the two men spoken of are his hands; one
of them, the injured, is him now in adulthood, and the other is who he once was,
and all he has ever forgotten of himself. If there is an attitude of the poem it
is as I have already said, Peace. It gives a sense of relaxation to read the
poem, as well as an insight into the similarities between not only ourselves and
our former lives, but to each other, as we can all relate to this poem. Hart
Crane was a genius, and I see that now.