Intervals (Untitled #25)

Intervals (Untitled #25)

For when the wind blows;

Howling; hollowing –

Gentle hands push aside.

For when the wind blows;

Hollering, haunting –

Calm gestures inviting cold.

For when the wind blows;

Halting, harkening –

Seating guests as entered upon.

For when the wind stops;

Startling, suddenly –

Standing room only.

We assume we may resume;

To find in form as before –

As if the world never told us to stop.

Analysis of “Untitled #25”

This poem explores the tension between movement and stillness, using the wind as a metaphor for the disruptions and pauses we experience in life. The wind serves as both a literal and figurative force—one that evokes change, disturbance, invitation, and, ultimately, the unsettling nature of returning to a disrupted normalcy.

Theme and Meaning

1. Cycles of Change and Stillness: 

 Each stanza focuses on different moments when the wind is active, followed by the abrupt stillness when it stops. The repetition of “For when the wind blows” creates a rhythmic expectation, akin to the way life has cycles of motion and interruption. When the wind (or any force of change) disappears, the poem hints at how we return to life “as if the world never told us to stop,” suggesting an uneasy ignorance about how disruptions shape us.

2. The Illusion of Continuity: 

The final lines suggest that humans attempt to carry on as if nothing has changed, even though everything, including ourselves, has subtly shifted. The wind becomes a metaphor for life’s unpredictable events—whether personal, social, or existential—that force us to pause. When those moments pass, we often pretend they never occurred, revealing our denial of life’s disruptions.

3. Emotional Duality:

The poem presents the wind with a range of contradictory emotions: it can “howl” and “hollow,” but also be associated with “gentle hands” and “calm gestures.” This duality reflects how life’s disturbances can feel threatening but also oddly familiar or even necessary, hinting at ambivalence toward change.

4. Incompleteness and Expectation: 

The unresolved final line—”As if the world never told us to stop”—suggests an ongoing tension between action and stasis. There’s an underlying commentary about modern life: we rush to return to routine without fully acknowledging interruptions, learning little from the pauses imposed on us.

Structure and Form

1. Stanza Structure and Symmetry:

 – The poem is composed of four stanzas.

– Each of the first three stanzas begins with “For when the wind blows” followed by descriptions of different emotional states. The fourth stanza deviates by shifting to “For when the wind stops,” marking a tonal shift from motion to stillness.

– The regularity of the phrase “For when the wind blows” creates a pattern that mirrors the expected rhythm of cycles in life—until the final disruption when the wind stops, leaving the reader in a suspended emotional state.

2. Parallelism and Variation: 

– Each stanza contains internal parallelism, with two clauses separated by semicolons. This structural choice enhances the rhythmic flow, reinforcing the repetition of actions and emotions, much like how winds ebb and flow.

– There is a deliberate shift from active verbs (howling, hollering) to more passive or static ones (halting, harkening, standing). This gradual reduction in motion aligns with the thematic arc: from change to stillness, from invitation to conclusion.

3. Use of Alliteration and Sound Devices:  

– The poem features alliteration throughout: “howling, hollowing,” “hollering, haunting,” and “halting, harkening.” This creates a musicality that mimics the sound of wind, evoking both rhythm and dissonance.

– The **transition from softer to harder sounds** reflects the emotional trajectory of the poem—starting with a chaotic, energetic force and ending in abrupt stillness, reinforced by the line “standing room only.”

4. Final Couplet as Philosophical Reflection:

 – The last two lines, “We assume we may resume; / To find in form as before,” break the established structure by abandoning the semicolon format and opting for a single, enjambed thought. This signals a shift from description to reflection. The use of “we” also introduces a collective, human experience, giving the poem a more universal tone in its conclusion.

5. Punctuation and Flow: 

– The use of semicolons separates but also links ideas within each stanza, mirroring the way wind can both disrupt and connect moments. The poem ends without a definitive closure, which fits the theme of unresolved change—suggesting that life’s disruptions linger even when we try to ignore them.

Tone and Mood

– Tone: Reflective, slightly melancholic, with hints of ambivalence.

– Mood: The poem evokes a sense of restlessness and contemplation. There is an undercurrent of tension, as though the speaker is grappling with the inevitability of change but also the futility of pretending nothing has changed.

Interpretation

The wind is more than a literal element here—it symbolizes disruptions, pauses, and transitions in life. The poem suggests that while we are quick to return to routine, these interruptions change us, often in ways we refuse to acknowledge. There’s a subtle critique of how we rush through life, resuming habits and forms as if disruptions were mere inconveniences rather than moments with the potential to reshape us. The interplay between movement and stillness reflects the human tendency to oscillate between engagement and avoidance—between acknowledging change and pretending it didn’t happen. The ending leaves us in a place of ambiguity, as if inviting the reader to decide whether they too will resume without reflection or pause to consider the wind’s message.

Conclusion

“Untitled #25” is a deceptively simple poem that explores profound themes of change, denial, and the human desire for continuity. Its tight structure, use of repetition, and subtle shifts in tone reflect the cyclical nature of life, while its final ambiguity invites readers to question their own responses to disruption. The poem’s layered metaphors and carefully chosen diction suggest a complex relationship with the idea of change—one that feels both necessary and uncomfortable.