The Moving Target by W. S. Merwin
"The Moving Target" by W. S. Merwin is a collection of poetry that delves into themes of alienation, despair, and the human condition. Through various poems, Merwin explores the concept of hope, often portraying a bleak outlook on humanity's relationship with itself and nature. In "Noah's Raven," for instance, the titular bird symbolizes the realization of disconnection between humans and the natural world, choosing not to return with false promises. The poem "Dead Hand" illustrates the enduring grip of human desires even after death, suggesting a sense of futility.
Merwin also reflects on historical and literary allusions, as seen in "Lemuel's Blessing," where he critiques the madness of society and implies that only those deemed insane can perceive reality clearly. The work further contemplates the consequences of neglecting our bond with nature, hinting at a self-destructive path that humanity is on. One of the standout pieces, "The Crossways of the World etc.," departs from traditional poetic structures to present fragmented thoughts on loss and failed connections, encapsulating the overarching sense of devastation in Merwin's vision of the world. This collection challenges readers to confront uncomfortable truths about existence and the choices humanity makes.
On this Page
The Moving Target by W. S. Merwin
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition
First published: 1963
Type of work: Poetry
The Work
The Moving Target catalogs Merwin’s ventures into the dark void of possibility available to humans. As before, Merwin finds little hope. “Noah’s Raven,” for example, explains why that bird did not return to the ark with the message that the deluge had passed, that God would once again establish his covenant with humans. On leaving, it realized it had nothing more in common with humans; their kinds would henceforth be alienated. By refusing to bring back empty promises, the raven signifies that it sees little hope. Similarly, “Dead Hand” illustrates in two lines that this most human of organs continues to clutch even after death; its only value to anyone resides in the metal and mineral of its rings.
“Lemuel’s Blessing” develops from an allusion to Christopher Smart, an eighteenth century poet who suffered from religious mania and was considered insane. Merwin suggests that only madmen can see accurately in a world that has chosen madness as a way of life. Smart prayed that Lemuel “bless with the wolf,” the traditional and mythical enemy of humans—arguing, that is, that releasing wolves on humans would paradoxically purge them of their own beastliness. He goes on to call the wolf a “dog without a master,” hinting that humans are destroying themselves by failing to practice the mastery for which they were created. Finally, he notes that the Lord will care for the wolves of the desert, implying that humans who have chosen to abandon nature deserve no such care. All these points tally with Merwin’s theme. The poem goes on to show humans reveling in the dogginess of their lives.
In “The Saint of the Uplands,” the saint laments that his message has fallen on deaf ears, in two ways. He is no more than his followers, hence undeserving of being considered a saint, and he has no more to give them than they can find for themselves. Yet instead of learning that simple point, they persist in building a shrine to him, in which they perpetuate their ignorance. Perhaps the most striking poem in the book is “The Crossways of the World etc.,” which certainly prefigures the next turn in Merwin’s development. Unlike his earlier work with its broken lines, stanzas, and phrases, it looks like abbreviated, interrupted, and unpatterned musings. The imagery is entirely of loss and failed connections, which reflects the overwhelming sense of devastation in Merwin’s vision of human reality.
Bibliography
Bloom, Harold, ed. W. S. Merwin. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 2004.
Byers, Thomas G. What I Cannot Say: Self, Word, and World in Whitman, Stevens, and Merwin. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1989.
Christhilf, Mark. W. S. Merwin, the Mythmaker. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1986.
Davis, Cheri. W. S. Merwin. Boston: Twayne, 1981.
Hix, H. L. Understanding W. S. Merwin. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1997.
Hoeppner, Edward Haworth. Echoes and Moving Fields: Structure and Subjectivity in the Poetry of W. S. Merwin and John Ashbery. Lewisburg, Pa.: Bucknell University Press, 1994.
Mark, Irwin, ed. Many Mountains Moving: A Tribute to W. S. Merwin. Boulder, Colo.: Many Mountains Moving, 2002.
Merwin, W. S. Unframed Originals. New York: Atheneum, 1982.
Nelson, Cary, and Ed Folsom, eds. W. S. Merwin: Essays on the Poetry. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1987.
Scigaj, Leonard M. Sustainable Poetry: Four American Ecopoets. Lexington: University of Kentucky Press, 1999.
Shaw, Robert B., ed. American Poetry Since 1960: Some Critical Perspectives. Chester Springs, Pa.: Dufour, 1974.