Poetry Analysis: Matins 1 – The Sun Shines | Louise Glück’s The Wild Iris
Explore the first Matins poem in The Wild Iris by Louise Glück. This poem introduces a human voice for the first time in the collection, shifting from spiritual disembodiment to quiet personal reflection. A close reading for students and poetry lovers.
Poem #2 - Matins 1 (The Sun Shines)
from Louise Glück’s The Wild Iris
The first Matins poem in The Wild Iris introduces us to the first human voice.
Earlier, we had the Wild Iris surprising us with the sheer wisdom and knowledge it carries – almost looking down on us for how consumed we are with comfort, and how terrified we are by the prospect of death.
Now we get a little bit of normalcy - a human.
Glück lets her readers know she is going to switch between perspectives.
And do we know why? Not yet.
💬 My initial notes while reading this poem:
Glück juxtaposes light imagery with dark imagery, using these contrasts to talk about depression being consuming.
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