Patterns
by Amy Lowell
I walk down the garden paths,
And all the daffodils
Are blowing, and the bright blue squills.
I walk down the patterned garden paths
In my stiff brocaded gown.
With my powdered hair and jewelled fan,
I too am a rare pattern as I wander down
The garden paths.My dress is richly figured,
And the train
Makes a pink and silver stain
On the gravel, and the thrift
Of the borders.
Just a plate of current fashion,
Tripping by in high heeled ribboned shoes.
No softness anywhere about me,
Only whale bone and brocade.
And I sink onto a seat in the shade of a lime tree,
As my passion wars against the stiff brocade.
The daffodils and squills flutter in the breeze
As they please.
I weep for the lime tree in blossom,
And a small flower has dropped onto my bosom.And the splashing of waterdrops
In the marble fountain
Comes down the garden paths.
The dripping never stops.
Underneath my stiffened gown
Is the softness of a woman bathing in a marble basin,
A basin amid hedges grown so thick that she cannot see her lover hiding,
Though she guesses he is near.What is summer in a fine brocaded gown?
I would like to see it lying in a heap upon the ground.
All the pink and silver crumpled up on the ground.I would be the pink and silver as I ran along the paths,
And he would stumble after,
Bewildered by my laughter.
I would see the sun flashing from his sword hilt and the buckles on his shoes.
I would choose to lead him in a maze along the patterned paths,
A bright and laughing maze for my heavy booted lover,
Until he caught me in the shade,
And the buttons of his waistcoat bruised my body as he clasped me,
Aching, melting, unafraid.
With the shadows of the leaves and sundrops, and the plopping of the waterdrops,
All about us in the open afternoon, I am very likely to swoon.Underneath the fallen blossom in my bosom is a letter I have hid.
It was brought to me this morning by a rider from the Duke.
“Madam, we regret to inform you that Lord Hartwell died in action Thursday sen’night.”
As I read it in the white morning sunlight,
The letters squirmed like snakes.
“Any answer, Madam,” said my footman.
“No,” I told him.
“See that the messenger takes some refreshment.
No, no answer.”
And I walked into the garden,
Up and down the patterned paths,
In my stiff, correct brocade.
The blue and yellow flowers stood proudly in the sun, each one.
I stood upright too, held rigid to the pattern by the stiffness of my gown.
Up and down I walked, up and down.In a month he would have been my husband.
In a month, here, underneath this lime, we would have broken the pattern.
He for me, and I for him, he as Colonel, I as Lady, on this shady seat.
He had a whim that sunlight carried blessing.
And I answered, “It shall be as you have said.” Now he is dead.In summer and in winter I shall walk up and down
The patterned garden paths
In my stiff brocaded gown.
The squills and daffodils will give way to pillared roses, asters, and snow.
I shall go up and down in my gown, gorgeously arrayed, boned and stayed.
And the softness of my body will be guarded from embrace by each button, hook, and lace.
For the man who should lose me is dead, fighting with the Duke in Flanders in a pattern called a war.
Christ! What are patterns for?
Unveiling “Patterns”: A Deep Dive into Amy Lowell’s Masterpiece
Amy Lowell’s “Patterns” is a poignant and powerful poem that captures the essence of societal constraints and personal longing. Published in 1916, this free verse masterpiece offers a vivid portrayal of a woman trapped by the rigid expectations of her era, exploring themes of freedom, love, loss, and the suffocating nature of convention. This comprehensive guide will illuminate the poem’s intricate layers, providing a thorough “Patterns summary” and an in-depth “Patterns analysis” that explores its “literary devices” and “poetic devices”.
Patterns Summary: The Heart of the Poem
“Patterns” introduces a woman meticulously dressed in a stiff, brocaded gown, walking through a formal, “patterned garden paths”. She feels as much a part of the artificial pattern as the garden itself. The poem vividly contrasts her constrained physical state and inner turmoil with the natural world’s freedom. She yearns to shed her restrictive attire and societal role, imagining a joyful, uninhibited chase with her beloved. This dream of freedom is shattered by the devastating news of her fiancé’s death in war. Despite her profound grief and shattered hopes, she resolves to maintain her outward composure and continue living within the “pattern” of her prescribed life, questioning the very purpose of such rigid structures.
Central Idea and Noteworthy Knowledge
The central idea of “Patterns” revolves around the conflict between individual desire and societal expectation. It highlights how rigid social “patterns” can stifle personal freedom, passion, and authentic expression, ultimately leading to profound sorrow and resignation. A noteworthy aspect is Lowell’s pioneering use of free verse, which itself breaks from traditional poetic “patterns,” mirroring the speaker’s internal struggle against convention. The poem is also a powerful commentary on the limited roles available to women in the early 20th century and the devastating impact of war on personal lives.
In-Depth Patterns Analysis: Exploring Themes and Techniques
Lowell masterfully weaves together imagery, symbolism, and a compelling narrative voice to explore the profound impact of societal “patterns” on an individual’s life. The poem’s structure, though free verse, subtly reinforces the very patterns it critiques.
The Oppressive Pattern of Society and Dress
From the outset, the speaker’s world is defined by patterns. The “patterned garden paths” immediately establish a sense of order and artificiality. This external pattern is mirrored in her attire:
I walk down the patterned garden paths
In my stiff brocaded gown.
With my powdered hair and jewelled fan,
I too am a rare pattern as I wander down
The garden paths.
The “stiff brocaded gown” becomes the poem’s most potent symbol of societal constraint. It represents the rigid expectations placed upon women of her time, dictating their appearance, behavior, and emotional expression. The gown is described with details that emphasize its restrictive nature:
No softness anywhere about me,
Only whale bone and brocade.
This stark description highlights the physical discomfort and emotional suppression enforced by her social role. The whalebone, a common element in corsetry, literally binds her, preventing any “softness” or natural movement.
The Contrast of Nature and Freedom
Lowell frequently employs contrast to underscore the speaker’s yearning for liberation. The vibrant, unrestrained natural world stands in stark opposition to her artificial existence:
The daffodils and squills flutter in the breeze
As they please.
This line emphasizes the freedom of nature, which acts “as they please,” a stark contrast to the speaker who cannot. Her “passion wars against the stiff brocade,” revealing an internal conflict between her true self and her outward presentation. The natural elements, like the “lime tree in blossom” and the “small flower has dropped onto my bosom,” symbolize fleeting beauty and a connection to life that her patterned existence denies.
Imagined Freedom and Suppressed Desire
A significant portion of the poem is dedicated to the speaker’s fantasy of uninhibited love and freedom. She imagines shedding her restrictive clothing and engaging in a playful, passionate encounter with her lover:
What is summer in a fine brocaded gown?
I would like to see it lying in a heap upon the ground.
All the pink and silver crumpled up on the ground.
This vivid imagery of the gown “lying in a heap” symbolizes her desire to cast off societal expectations and embrace her authentic self. The imagined chase is filled with sensory details and a sense of joyous abandon:
I would be the pink and silver as I ran along the paths,
And he would stumble after,
Bewildered by my laughter.
…
Until he caught me in the shade,
And the buttons of his waistcoat bruised my body as he clasped me,
Aching, melting, unafraid.
These lines convey a powerful longing for physical and emotional intimacy, a desire for a love that is raw, passionate, and free from the constraints of “patterns.” The phrase “aching, melting, unafraid” encapsulates the depth of her suppressed passion and her readiness to embrace vulnerability.
The Shattering Blow of Loss
The poem takes a dramatic turn with the arrival of a letter, abruptly shattering the speaker’s dreams of future happiness:
“Madam, we regret to inform you that Lord Hartwell died in action Thursday sen’night.”
This stark, formal language of the letter contrasts sharply with the passionate fantasy that precedes it. The news of her fiancé’s death is a devastating blow, not only ending a life but also extinguishing her hopes for a future where she might “break the pattern” with him:
In a month he would have been my husband.
In a month, here, underneath this lime, we would have broken the pattern.
The imagery of the “letters squirmed like snakes” vividly portrays her internal horror and revulsion at the news, a powerful example of personification reflecting her emotional turmoil.
Resignation and the Enduring Pattern
Despite her profound grief, the speaker maintains an outward composure, refusing to give her footman “any answer.” Her immediate reaction is to revert to the familiar “pattern” of her life:
And I walked into the garden,
Up and down the patterned paths,
In my stiff, correct brocade.
The blue and yellow flowers stood proudly in the sun, each one.
I stood upright too, held rigid to the pattern by the stiffness of my gown.
Up and down I walked, up and down.
This repetition of “Up and down I walked, up and down” emphasizes her resignation and the cyclical, unchanging nature of her existence. The flowers, once symbols of freedom, now “stood proudly,” mirroring her own forced rigidity. The final stanzas solidify her fate:
In summer and in winter I shall walk up and down
The patterned garden paths
In my stiff brocaded gown.
…
And the softness of my body will be guarded from embrace by each button, hook, and lace.
For the man who should lose me is dead, fighting with the Duke in Flanders in a pattern called a war.
Her body, once imagined “aching, melting, unafraid,” is now permanently “guarded from embrace.” The tragic realization that her beloved died in “a pattern called a war” extends the poem’s central metaphor beyond personal life to the larger, destructive patterns of human conflict.
Literary and Poetic Devices in Patterns
Amy Lowell employs a rich array of “literary devices” and “poetic devices” to convey the poem’s profound message:
- Symbolism: The “stiff brocaded gown” is the primary symbol, representing societal constraints, formality, and the suppression of individuality. The “patterned garden paths” symbolize the structured, artificial world of convention. The “lime tree” and “daffodils and squills” symbolize natural freedom and uninhibited life.
- Imagery: Lowell creates vivid sensory experiences. Visual imagery includes “pink and silver stain,” “powdered hair,” “blue and yellow flowers.” Tactile imagery is present in “stiff brocaded gown,” “whale bone,” “buttons of his waistcoat bruised my body,” and “softness of a woman.” Auditory imagery includes “splashing of waterdrops” and “plopping of the waterdrops.”
- Metaphor: The speaker herself becomes a “pattern” as she walks, highlighting how deeply ingrained societal roles are. The war is explicitly called “a pattern called a war,” extending the metaphor to global conflict.
- Personification: “My passion wars against the stiff brocade” gives human agency to an abstract emotion. “The letters squirmed like snakes” vividly portrays the speaker’s revulsion and fear upon reading the news.
- Contrast: The poem is built on stark contrasts: the natural world versus the artificial garden, freedom versus constraint, passion versus formality, imagination versus reality, and life versus death.
- Repetition: The phrase “Up and down I walked, up and down” and the recurring image of the “patterned garden paths” emphasize the cyclical, unchanging nature of her constrained existence and her resignation.
- Rhetorical Question: The poem concludes with a powerful rhetorical question: “Christ! What are patterns for?” This question encapsulates the speaker’s ultimate despair and challenges the very purpose of the restrictive societal structures that have dictated her life and led to such profound loss.
- Free Verse: Lowell’s choice of free verse, without a strict rhyme scheme or meter, paradoxically underscores the theme of breaking free from patterns, even as the speaker remains trapped within them. The fluid form allows for a natural, conversational tone that draws the reader into the speaker’s internal world.
Conclusion: The Enduring Resonance of “Patterns”
“Patterns” by Amy Lowell remains a timeless exploration of the human condition, particularly the tension between personal desire and the pressures of conformity. Through its rich imagery, powerful symbolism, and poignant narrative, the poem invites readers to reflect on the “patterns” in their own lives and the cost of adhering to them. It is a profound meditation on love, loss, and the enduring quest for freedom, making it a vital piece of literature for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of societal influence and individual resilience.