Living for the moment, sensing the present while engaging in the living of the current time is the central theme of Marie Howe’s “The Moment”. The poem is entrenched in the modern world, where time flies carried away by a multitude of tasks that should support the living, but end up by capturing the entire human existence. There are specific literary devices that the poet uses for accentuating the idea of living in the present, some of them being the alliteration, repetition and metaphors. With the use of these literary devices, spread across two stanzas, the theme of living in the present captures a simplistic nature, showing the essence of engaging in the moment, after forgetting all the trifling activities that complicate the existence.
Marie Howe’s “The Moment” is a short ode dedicated to the present time. The poem opens with the exclamation “Oh”, which expresses a personal state of mind, a feeling, and in the given context, a contemplation of the moment: “Oh, the coming – out – of – nowhere moment” (Howe 1). This first line signals the fact that the poem is an ode, because it celebrates something, namely the moment (Spitzer 34). Unlike the classical ode structure, “The Moment” is short, requiring solely nine verses for defining the significance of the theme.
Structurally, the poem is divided in two, uneven stanzas, first containing four lines and the second five lines, with a blank verse rhyme scheme (Goodman 43). There are two phrases included in the poem, which explain the stillness and simplicity of the moment. The first phrase traverses across the first and stanza and the first two lines of the second stanza, while the other phrase shapes the remaining of the poem, like an open – ended conclusion.
The poem is connected to the modern day existence, as there are specifications that describe the current times. The “to – do list” or “the rush at the traffic stop” are elements that define the living in the contemporary era (Howe 4-6). These elements are used in contrast with the moment that the author describes, serving as impediments of living for the moment, as things that complicate the human existence. After escaping from all these elements, the author sinks into a moment of peace and silence, where, just like in a profound meditation session, “nothing/happens” (Howe 2-3).
Stylistically, although the poem is a short one, there are several literary devices that the poet uses to get her messages across the audience and to produce impactful effects on the readers, such as alliteration, repetition and metaphor. The alliteration is the device that emphasizes a sound, marked by a consonant, for the purpose of rendering “the dynamism of a swelling and pulsating universe” (Spitzer 176). In the examined poem, Howe enhances the consonants t/d and the vocal o, composing the group “to” visible in the fourth line of the poem “to – do – today” (Howe 4). The group of sounds generates the idea of a tempo, rhythmicity. Connected with the theme of the poem, the living in the moment, this alliteration has the role of measuring the moment in abrupt sequences, as reflecting the focus on the daily activities that impede the real living of the moment.
In contrast, another alliteration, marked in the eight verse of the poem, “slows to silence”, highlights the consonant and the sound “s”, generating a less abrupt sequence, as it connects the silence with the moment of peace. There is a harmony in this second alliteration, defining a uniform pulse, of a relaxed living, if only for a moment.
Another literary device utilized in this poem is the repetition. The second phrase of the poem commences with a line that includes the repetition of “I should be, I should be, I should be” (Howe 7). The role of the repetition in a literature is to emphasize an idea (Goodman 85). In this case, the repetition of the verb “I should be” has the role of highlighting the passing of the time while concerning about responsibilities, and forgetting to enjoy the living.
The poem ends with a metaphor: “the white cotton curtains hanging still” (Howe 9). Here, the poet creates a visual image of the curtain of silence and stillness. This last verse translates the poet’s significance of living the moment. It is a moment captured in a photograph that will always remain in the mind of the person who experienced it. Howe compares the moment with “the white cotton curtains hanging still”, transferring the features of the curtain into the meaning of living the moment.
Howe’s “The Moment” expresses an inner feeling, the sensation that the author feels while she escapes from the quotidian responsibilities, tasks and activities that keeps her from engaging in the energy of the present moment.
The use of the literary devices like alliteration, repetition and metaphor are meant to emphasize the inner life that Howe experiences in the moment that she articulates. Like in a meditation session, the poet describes her state of mind where she embraces the moment, allowing the peace to install, while liberating herself from the elements of the quotidian that complicate the existence.
Works Cited
Goodman, Lizbeth. Literature and Gender. New York: Routledge. 2015. Print.
Howe, Marie. The Moment. [Online]. N.d. Available from < https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/moment-0>. 11 May 2015.
Spitzer, Leo. Essays on English and American Literature. New Jersey: Princeton University Press. 1962. Print.
