Ben Nikpour: Week 1- "White Apples" by Donald Hall

    After reading through the introductions of many poets, I decided on reading through Donald Hall. The first poem I picked of his was titled “White Apples”. Initially, I chose this poem based on the imagery presented in the title. The title invoked a sense of curiosity in me as I tried to imagine what this “White Apple” could mean. Based on my imagination, I predicted reading a poem with a positive connotation. I expected something that would uplift me and make me feel a sense of joy. While I was not disappointed in the poem, I was pleasantly surprised after reading it. 

    The poem starts with the line, “when my father had been dead a week” (Line 1). Immediately I felt a sense of darkness: the poem was about death. In this short, 9-lined poem, Hall is able to say a lot about the topic. The poem tells the story of a man, Donald Hall, mourning the loss of his father. He gets up from his slumber hearing the voice of his father. After looking at the closed door, he realizes no one is there. He finishes his poem by saying he would put his clothes on if he were to hear his voice again. 

    Throughout the short poem, he paints a vivid image of the situation using dull colors described through words such as “pale closed door”, “white apples”, and “taste of stone”. In my interpretation of the poem, Donald Hall is having an encounter with death. He hears the voice of his late father from the other side which wakes him from his sleep. As he looks at the lifeless door, he realizes that it was just in his head. When he writes, “if he called again I would put on my coat and galoshes” (Lines 8-9), I interpreted this as him saying if he were to hear his father's voice again he would follow him to the other side. 

    I enjoyed this poem and found it to be intriguing as the more times I read it, different and deeper meanings became apparent. Although very short, I felt that Hall was able to tell a well-thought-out story. I also revisited the purpose of the title after reading the entire piece. While at first, I thought it was going to be a positive reflection of memory, after reading I realize that the phrase is symbolic of death. 


"White Apples" by Donald Hall


White Apples by Donald Hall - Poems | Academy of American Poets



Comments

  1. DinaSeptember 3, 2022 at 11:40 AM

    I find this poem really interesting and agree with you that it is very closely relating to death and its symbolism. I am still curious as to what the title means; maybe white has something to do with old age or mortality.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ariella GreenSeptember 3, 2022 at 4:09 PM

    It is difficult to adjust to the loss of losing a parent. The title of this poem is very intriguing because white usually symbolizes purity and apples usually symbolize wisdom and knowledge. I’m a little stumped.

    ReplyDelete

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