suit is new, only worn once, and perhaps has
been starched for the event. The groom is cele-
brating the event but may be uncomfortable in
his clothing. The figurative reading, however,
suggests an image of death, that of a man wear-
ing his best suit being laid to rest in a coffin. This
jarring, unexpected image is consistent with the
previous illustration of the funeral-like proces-
sion and the wailing flute.
The music then returns in the final two lines
of the stanza, shifting attention from the bride
and groom. Again using personification, the
flute’s notes speak of the hills in the distance,
which are thirsty and brown, much like deer.
This literally suggests that there has been a lack
of rain and the landscape shows it. The ground is
arid and hens scratch at piles of manure. There
is no mention of the bride and groom or the
attending party. The barren landscape may also
act as a harbinger for the young couple. The hills
will eventually turn green with rain. Nature will
continue the cycle of death and rebirth through
the seasons, yet the couple will die.
Stanza 2 marks a departure from the con-
crete, sensory imagery presented in stanza 1 and
acts as a philosophical meditation on that
imagery. In line 9, the speaker reveals that the
wedding party, the village, and the landscape are
not real. Instead, it is his imagined vision that is
elicited while listening to music. The speaker
then refers to humans as the instruments who
conduct their own music during their time on
earth, which they naively think is long. In line
11, he explains that the music is figuratively the
makings of their lives—their words, actions,
ambitions, and work. However, they do not real-
ize the fleeting nature of time and they die. In
stanza 1, the speaker refers to people as a cor-
tege; here, they are described collectively as a
pageant that dies, is buried, and returned to the
earth. The use of the word ‘‘pageant’’ has special
significance. First, pageantry is associated with
shows or exhibitions, often of a grandiose
nature. Second, these shows can be set to music
and may be presented through tableaux provid-
ing a loosely unified drama. This serves as an apt
metaphor for life, as perceived by the speaker.
In the remaining lines of the poem (lines 13–
17), the speaker reflects on the afterlife.
Although death occurs and the body ceases to
exist, the spirit survives and is immortal. The
speaker equates this spirit to that of the sound
of music, which can linger in one’s mind long
after the melody ends. Then, using images of
intimacy and the security of home in lines 14
and 15, the speaker observes that the memory
of the dead as well as their spirit are kept alive by
those left behind. The poem ends with the asser-
tion that history will not document the lives of
those who died or the lives of those who remem-
ber them. However, the life-affirming images of
the warmth of human touch and the sanctuary of
a home balance this outlook with optimism and
serve as a bridge between the natural world and a
transcendent state.
Through a simple yet haunting musical evo-
cation, the poem poses complex questions about
the meaning of existence, the purpose of human
life, and the nature of an afterlife. The poet offers
no answers, perhaps implying that life’s mysteries
are not within the power of a poem to solve.MEDIA
ADAPTATIONS Fire, a collection of poetry and essays, as
presented by Milosz during a 1987 literary
reading in Washington, D.C., is available as
an audio book distributed by Watershed
Tapes (C-200).
The Internet Poetry Archive Website, accessed
through http://www.ibiblio.org offers audio
recordings of Milosz’s poetry in English and
Polish, including ‘‘A Poem for the End of the
Century’’ and ‘‘A Conversation with Jeanne.’’
The Website is sponsored by the University of
North Carolina Press and the University of
North Carolina Arts Council.
A 1997 audio CD entitledCzeslaw Miloszis
presented by Lannan Literary Videos and
showcases the writer reading selected poems.
Musician Aivars Kalejs performs ‘‘Three
Poems by Czeslaw Milosz: I. Windows’’
on the compilation album entitledVasks:
Mate Saule. The album also features the
Latvian Radio Choir and music by composer
Peteris Vasks. Kalejs’s Milosz-inspired song,
recorded on November 30, 2001, is also avail-
able as a MP3 download.In Music