Lonely Night
By Hadi S.
the night is lonely
but my heart is lonelier still
the cold wind yearns for your cabin door
and all of you are lulled to sleep
I come ...
albeit the dew has merged as one
albeit the cold has penetrated my bones
for all of you are my devotion
I must come though
you know nothing
I set my longing to verse
though it has no meaning
but I do it for the sake of love and purity of heart
the night is lonely
but my heart is lonelier still
and tomorrow ...
the day will return on the surge of labour
the harbour will bustle
the workshops will ring again
and the radiant morning will dawn.
Source: Contemporary Progressive Indonesian Poetry, 1962
Poem Analysis:
Hadi S.'s poem, Lonely Night, weaves a tapestry of solitude, longing, and the resilience of the human spirit against the backdrop of a quiet, cold night. Through its use of simple language and repetitive structures, the poem explores themes of isolation, devotion, and the inevitability of life’s progression, even in the face of personal sorrow.
Theme of Loneliness and Isolation
The poem opens with a straightforward declaration: “the night is lonely / but my heart is lonelier still.” This juxtaposition sets the tone for the rest of the work, underscoring the speaker’s internal desolation. The imagery of a cold, empty night serves as a metaphor for emotional emptiness, but the speaker asserts that their inner loneliness surpasses the outward environment. The use of comparative language ("lonelier still") elevates the emotion, suggesting that the speaker’s solitude is far more profound than the literal stillness of the night.
This sense of isolation is compounded by the portrayal of the wind, which “yearns for your cabin door.” The wind, a natural force, symbolically mirrors the speaker’s yearning. The wind’s helpless longing for a door that remains closed is an apt metaphor for the speaker’s unfulfilled desire for connection.
Love, Devotion, and Unreciprocated Effort
Despite the loneliness and the seemingly one-sided emotional struggle, the speaker's commitment remains unwavering. In the stanza, “I come ... / albeit the dew has merged as one / albeit the cold has penetrated my bones,” the speaker conveys that physical discomfort and hardship will not deter them from their devotion. The phrase “I must come though / you know nothing” signifies a love that is persistent, even if the other party is unaware of it.
This quiet, steadfast devotion is central to the speaker’s identity and actions. It represents a kind of selfless love, where personal sacrifice is endured for the sake of others, even without recognition or reward. The cold night, the dew, and the penetrating chill of isolation act as symbols of the pain that accompanies such a love, but the speaker’s resolve is clear—they will endure.
Expression of Emotion Through Verse
The stanza, “I set my longing to verse / though it has no meaning / but I do it for the sake of love and purity of heart,” provides insight into the speaker’s need to express their feelings. Writing poetry becomes a method of coping, even though they acknowledge that these words may hold no concrete meaning. This reveals the paradox of poetic expression: while the speaker recognizes that their verse may not change anything, it remains a necessary outlet, an act driven by love and sincerity.
The self-awareness expressed in the line “though it has no meaning” could be interpreted in several ways. It may reflect the speaker’s doubt about whether their words will ever reach the person they are devoted to, or it could hint at a broader existential reflection on the futility of their efforts. Yet, this futility does not diminish the significance of the act, for it is done “for the sake of love and purity of heart.” In this way, the speaker acknowledges the intrinsic value of expressing devotion, even if it seems to go unnoticed or unacknowledged.
Resilience and the Return to Routine
The poem’s concluding stanza shifts away from the focus on night and isolation to introduce the concept of tomorrow and the inevitable return to daily life. The repetition of the line “the night is lonely / but my heart is lonelier still” reinforces the speaker’s inner turmoil, yet the final lines hint at the resilience required to move forward. “And tomorrow ... / the day will return on the surge of labour / the harbour will bustle / the workshops will ring again / and the radiant morning will dawn,” paints a picture of renewal and continuity.
This stanza emphasizes the cyclical nature of life, where personal anguish exists alongside the unrelenting pace of work and the world. The harbour and the workshops symbolize industry, movement, and the forward march of time. In contrast to the quiet stillness of the night, the day is filled with activity and noise. The phrase “the radiant morning will dawn” evokes the idea that despite the loneliness of the night, a new day brings with it hope, vitality, and purpose.
Symbolism and Imagery
The imagery throughout the poem supports its melancholic tone. The cold wind, the dew, and the night are all natural symbols of isolation and discomfort. However, these are contrasted with the images of tomorrow—the bustling harbour and the dawn of a new day—which symbolize renewal, hope, and the continuity of life.
The repetition of key phrases, like “the night is lonely / but my heart is lonelier still,” serves to emphasize the depth of the speaker’s emotions. The structure of the poem, where the same ideas are revisited but with evolving imagery, creates a rhythm that mirrors the speaker’s internal cycle of sadness, devotion, and acceptance.
Hadi S.’s Lonely Night is a meditation on the nature of love, loneliness, and the passage of time. It explores the tension between personal sorrow and the external world’s unrelenting forward motion. While the speaker’s heart may be weighed down by isolation, their commitment to love and their acceptance of life’s cycles shine through. The poem ultimately suggests that while pain and longing are part of the human experience, so too is resilience, and tomorrow will always bring with it the promise of a new beginning.