Poetry for Students

True Night

“True Night” by Gary Snyder was first published

in 1983 in Snyder’s collection of poems, Axe Han-

dles. The poem tells a story of how the sleeping

poet is awakened by the sound of raccoons in his

kitchen. He gets out of bed and angrily chases the

raccoons away. Then, in the stillness of the night

outside the house, he becomes more reflective, to

the point where he seems to become one with na-

ture. After a while, he reminds himself that he

should not get carried away by such introspective

meditations. He needs his sleep and has responsi-

bilities to his family. So, he returns to bed to sleep

and await the dawning of a new day.

“True Night” is often considered the finest

poem in Axe Handles, which was the first volume

of poetry Snyder published for nine years follow-

ing his Pulitzer Prize–winning collection Turtle Is-

land in 1974. The poem illustrates some of

Snyder’s typical concerns: his appreciation of the

natural world and his interest in Zen Buddhism and

altered states of mind. The poem can be read

metaphorically as a journey in consciousness from

the dualities of the outer world to a state of one-

ness, followed by a return to the world of duality

with an increased appreciation of its possibilities.

Author Biography

Gary Snyder was born on May 8, 1930, in San Fran-

cisco, California, the first of two children born to

Gary Snyder

1983

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