Far, far away

The Distances

Henry Rago

This house, pitched now
The dark wide stretch
Of plains and ocean
To these hills over
The night-filled river,
Billows with night,
Swells with the rooms
Of sleeping children, pulls
Slowly from this bed,
Slowly returns, pulls and holds,
Is held where we
Lock all distances!

Ah, how the distances
Spiral from that
Secrecy:
Room,
Rooms, roof
Spun to the huge
Midnight, and into
The rings and rings of stars.

This Poem uses a lot of IMAGERY; it paints a clear picture of the house and the hills and the children sleeping. Each thing is described to form a picture. The poem is done in FREE VERSE and changes STANZAS after the LINE "Lock all distances." After this change in STANZAS the direction of the poem seems to change direction. It no longer speaks of the Image that we have just made in our minds as readers. It changes perspective and describes the distance that comes out of secrecy. It speaks of spinning away from this house toward the stars. Also, there is an ALLITERATION when he says "Rooms, Roof." This emphasizes the way that one exists the room and reaches out and away towards the stars.