Elegy for an Old Boxer
From my window
I watch the roots of a willow
push your house crooked,
women rummage through boxes,
your sons cart away the TV, its cord
trailing like your useless arms.
Only weeks ago we watched the heavyweights,
and between rounds you pummeled the air,
drank whiskey, admonished “Know your competition!”
You did, Kansas, the ‘20s
when you measured the town champ
as he danced the same dance over and over:
left foot, right lead, head down,
the move you’d dreamt about for days.
Then right on cue your hay-bale uppercut
compressed his spine. You know. That was that.
Now your mail piles up, RESIDENT circled
“not here.” Your lawn goes to seed. Dandelions
burst in the wind. From my window
I see you flat on your back on some canvas,
above you a wrinkled face, its clippy bow tie
bobbing toward ten. There’s someone behind you,
resting easy against the ropes,
a last minute substitute on the card you knew
so well, vaguely familiar, taken for granted,
with a sucker punch you don’t remember
ever having seen.
Mckean, James. "Elegy for an Old Boxer." Poetry Foundation. Web. <http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/178628>.
Elegy for an Old Boxer possess the three typical elements of an elegy (first lament, then praise and finally consolation). We first see the poets sorrow as he describes the scene of his house being emptied out by family members. He compares the TV cord being dragged out by the old boxer's son to his "useless arm" which reflects his somber feelings. We also see him reflecting on the good times he had with the boxer talking about how "Only weeks ago we watched the heavy weights, and between rounds we pummeled the air, drank whiskey and admonished 'Know your champion!'". After he shows his grief he then praises the boxer, talking about the time he "measured up to the town champ". Finally we see him coming to terms with the death as he compares the mans death to a fight in the ring, which is what the boxer loved doing the most.
I really like the poem you chose and the imagery it creates. By your analysis of the poem, it is obvious that you understand the elements of lament, praise, and consolation in an elegy. I think the best part is at the end when the man's death is compared to a fight, because it ties into the face that he was a boxer.
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