In Absentia
By Edwin John Dove Pratt
Erect and motionless he stood,
His face a hieroglyph of stone,
Stopped was his pulse, chilled was his blood,
And stiff each sinew, nerve and bone.
The spell an instant held him, when
His veins were swept by tidal power,
And then life's threescore years and ten
Were measured by a single hour.
The world lay there beneath his eye;
The sun had left the heavens to float
A hand-breadth from him, and the sky
Was but an anchor for his boat.
Fled was the class-room's puny space —
His eye saw but a whirling disk;
His old and language-weathered face
Shone like a glowing asterisk!
What chance had he now to remember
The year held months so saturnine
As ill-starred May and blank September,
With that brute tugging at his line?
Poem Analysis:
Edwin John Dove Pratt’s poem In Absentia is a deeply reflective work that explores themes of detachment, time distortion, and intellectual transcendence. The title itself—Latin for “in absence”—hints at a state of mental or emotional removal from one’s immediate surroundings. Through vivid imagery and a structured ABAB rhyme scheme, Pratt crafts a portrait of an individual momentarily lost in deep thought, experiencing a shift in perception that separates him from the mundane world.
The Stillness Before the Storm of Thought
The poem opens with a description of the protagonist in a frozen state:
Erect and motionless he stood,His face a hieroglyph of stone,Stopped was his pulse, chilled was his blood,And stiff each sinew, nerve and bone.
These lines convey an almost statuesque image of the man, emphasizing his complete stillness. The phrase “hieroglyph of stone” suggests that his face bears an unreadable expression, much like an ancient carving whose meaning is locked in time. The physical descriptions—“stopped pulse,” “chilled blood,” “stiff sinew”—suggest a moment of suspension, where he is completely detached from external sensations.
The Sudden Rush of Awareness
Just as he is frozen, an internal shift occurs:
The spell an instant held him, whenHis veins were swept by tidal power,And then life's threescore years and tenWere measured by a single hour.
The contrast between the stillness of the first stanza and the sudden flood of awareness in the second is striking. The “tidal power” sweeping through his veins suggests a rush of emotion, realization, or inspiration. The phrase “life’s threescore years and ten” (a biblical reference to the average human lifespan of 70 years) being “measured by a single hour” hints at the distortion of time—what might have taken a lifetime to understand is suddenly condensed into a single, overwhelming moment of insight.
The Expansion of Perspective
As the protagonist’s mind opens up, his perception of the world shifts dramatically:
The world lay there beneath his eye;The sun had left the heavens to floatA hand-breadth from him, and the skyWas but an anchor for his boat.
This stanza suggests a surreal expansion of his perspective. The world becomes small, as if he is now viewing it from an elevated or detached state. The “sun” is no longer a distant celestial body but something close enough to measure with his hand. The “sky” is merely “an anchor”—a tether to keep him from drifting too far into the depths of thought. These lines imply a moment of intellectual or existential transcendence, where everyday reality is temporarily redefined.
Escaping the Mundane Reality of the Classroom
The fourth stanza reveals that this transformative experience occurs within a seemingly ordinary setting—a classroom:
Fled was the class-room's puny space —His eye saw but a whirling disk;His old and language-weathered faceShone like a glowing asterisk!
The “class-room’s puny space” suggests that the setting is insignificant compared to the vast mental journey he is undertaking. His “whirling disk” might symbolize the spinning of thoughts or the expansion of his mind into a cosmic realm. The “glowing asterisk” could represent enlightenment or intellectual brilliance, as if his newfound insight has illuminated his very being.
The Burden of Returning to Reality
The final stanza introduces a sense of conflict—does he want to return from this heightened state?
What chance had he now to rememberThe year held months so saturnineAs ill-starred May and blank September,With that brute tugging at his line?
The words “saturnine” (gloomy, melancholic) and “ill-starred” (unlucky) suggest that everyday life, marked by its dull and unfortunate moments, is something he has momentarily escaped. The “brute tugging at his line” could be an external force pulling him back to reality—perhaps a teacher’s voice, a ringing bell, or the return of mundane concerns. There is a reluctance to re-enter ordinary life after such a profound experience, emphasizing how deeply the moment has affected him.
Poetic Structure and Style
- ABAB Rhyme Scheme: The consistent ABAB rhyme scheme gives the poem a steady rhythm, balancing the surreal imagery with a controlled and structured form. This contrast between structured rhyme and expansive, dreamlike content mirrors the protagonist’s internal conflict—his mind is soaring, yet the constraints of reality remain in place.
- Vivid and Surreal Imagery: Pratt uses highly visual and almost mystical imagery to depict the protagonist’s transformation. Phrases like “the sky was but an anchor for his boat” and “his old and language-weathered face shone like a glowing asterisk” add a dreamlike quality, making the reader feel as though they, too, are stepping into this altered state of perception.
- Contrast Between Stillness and Movement: The poem begins with complete stillness (“motionless he stood”) before shifting into an overwhelming flood of awareness (“veins were swept by tidal power”). This contrast heightens the impact of the protagonist’s experience, making his transformation feel almost supernatural.
In Absentia by Edwin John Dove Pratt is a thought-provoking exploration of intellectual transcendence and the temporary escape from mundane reality. Through surreal imagery and a controlled ABAB rhyme scheme, Pratt captures a moment of profound realization where time distorts, perspectives shift, and the external world becomes insignificant compared to the power of thought. The poem suggests that such experiences—though fleeting—are deeply transformative, leaving the individual with a sense of longing once they are forced to return to everyday life.
Ultimately, In Absentia is a meditation on the nature of deep contemplation, the expansion of human consciousness, and the struggle between intellectual awakening and the pull of ordinary existence.