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Comment 6 of 6, added on April 1st, 2007 at 10:50 AM.
well, I really like this somber poem of acceptance. I think the closing
door thing has to do with how you just don't get as mad about things as you
grow older; you realize you can't change anything, it's all futile and you
can simply close the door when something fails or someone argues with you,
for instance, at 40 than you can as a younger, more passionate or
inexperienced person. Though really, I think most people who shut the
doors quietly, have always been that kind of person.
ea
Comment 5 of 6, added on October 30th, 2005 at 8:11 PM.
I consider “Men At Forty” to be a reflective and illuminating poem.
It invokes a realisation of reaching the fulcrum in life; no matter how far
back you go or how far forward, this point of balance indicates achieving
wisdom and maturity through experience.
Similarly, the person in the poem can comfortably see himself reaching his
father – in the mirror he becomes his father. Growing old is not to be
feared. It is a natural process. And reaching “twilight,” death is
obviously a process too.
“To close softly the doors” may refer to the person in the poem whose
children are now grown up, or his own childhood imagination that is left
behind. Or perhaps God is no longer an option for answers and he closes the
door.
Life is continuous. Climbing, descending and then to take stock of the
situation like to “rest on a stair landing.” Afterwards, continue on
life’s journey as if “on the deck of a ship.”
For me, this poem is one of discovery.
Frank Corso from Australia
Comment 4 of 6, added on October 5th, 2005 at 4:00 AM.
I turn 40 tomorrow and came across this poem by accident last night. I like
the partial stanza quoted here:
"They feel it moving
Beneath them now like the deck of a ship,
Though the swell is gentle."
It suggests to me that 40 is not old (wishful thinking on my part?) but is
a point where one must appreciate that the journey to death is gently
beginning. My only concern with this interpretation is that mortality was
much different in 1967 when the poet wrote this than it is now.
Jim W from United States
Comment 3 of 6, added on July 18th, 2005 at 1:14 AM.
I think the reference to "close softly the doors” is about regrettable
choices he made that he can't go back and change. He feels himself getting
older and knows that he like all of us is going to die, the part with the
crickets I agree with Joe M. that "death is a part of life", we accept it
and move on.
McIntosh from United States
Comment 2 of 6, added on February 26th, 2005 at 4:03 PM.
I think that this poem is talking about as the men grow older he look back
on his life and see the mistakes he has made. The phrase close door softly
is refering to those mistakes.
Hayes from United States
Comment 1 of 6, added on October 20th, 2004 at 12:19 PM.
I think this poem is a realization of the aging process. Also i think the
image of "close softly/ the doors," is a reference to death. Also the
images at the end of the peom of "crickets" and other things, seem to
express that death is a part of life, that aging ulimatly leads to. So
overall this poem to me is about the idea that at some point everyone will
realize that they are ageing and that death will soon come. However this
poem is not totally negative and it makes me feel like daeth is natural and
human, and that people should learn to accept both aging and death as a
part of life.
Joe M from United States
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well, I really like this somber poem of acceptance. I think the closing
door thing has to do with how you just don't get as mad about things as you
grow older; you realize you can't change anything, it's all futile and you
can simply close the door when something fails or someone argues with you,
for instance, at 40 than you can as a younger, more passionate or
inexperienced person. Though really, I think most people who shut the
doors quietly, have always been that kind of person.
ea