PURSUIT

PURSUIT

Wislawa Szymborska

I know I’ll be greeted by silence, but still.

No uproar, no fanfare, no applause, but still.

No alarm bells, and nothing alarming.

I don’t expect even a shriveled leaf,

to say nothing of silver palaces and gardens,

venerable elders, righteous laws,

wisdom in crystal balls, but still.

I understand that I don’t walk the moon

in search of ladies’ rings and vanished ribbons.

They pick everything up in advance.

Nothing left to suggest that . . .

Trash, castoffs, peelings, scraps, crumbs,

chips, shavings, shards, bits, pieces.

Of course I only bend over a pebble

that bears no hint of where they’ve gone.

They don’t like leaving signs.

They’re peerless in the art of leaving traces.

I’ve known it for ages: the gift of vanishing just in time,

their divine ungraspability by horns or tail,

by the hem of a robe ballooning in flight.

A hair never falls from their heads that I might snatch.

They’re always one thought smarter,

one step ahead, I can never catch up,

they let me play at being first.

They aren’t there, they never were, but still.

I have to keep telling myself.,

don’t be a child, stop seeing things.

And whatever just hopped from underfoot

didn’t get far, it toppled over, trampled,

and though it stirs again

and emits a long-drawn muteness,

It’s a shadow—too much my own to point the way.

Reaction and Interpretation

At first, I assumed the poem was pertaining to pursuits in general. However, after rereading it several times, the title seemingly appeared to be falling under a particular category, which is the ‘unconventional’ category of pursuit or something (in line with career, life choices, activities) that is neutral in nature.

The character in the poem (I choose not to refer to Szymborska) may be referring to an ephemeral or long-term pursuit. Initially, readers might have assumed that the character was driven by impulse or just a pure act of rebellion and defiance, as suggested in the first stanza.

As mentioned, in the first stanza, he/she (the character) is strongly compelled by the desire to carry on despite unfavorable responses, lack of support, let alone encouragement. Here, the character sounds resilient.

The second stanza exhibits rebellion or insubordination, denying some authoritative intervention or of the ‘wise.’

Stanzas 3-5 show the journey, challenges, encounters during the pursuit. He/ She expresses dismay as he/ she fails to find hints and signs along the way thus losing directions.

In the sixth stanza, heightened emotions are evident. The pursuit becomes a race, a competition rather than a personal journey. The character also begins relying on other people for help, which he/she fails to get. Whatever his/ her position in the race, may it be ahead of others (grasping a horn) or behind (grasping a tail), the attempt is in vain.  

The next stanza shows self-pity. The character thinks he/ she is being manipulated, being taken advantage of. People outsmarting one another.

There is a sudden shift in Stanza 8 as he/ she reminds him/herself of the pursuit, shunning paranoia.

In the last stanza, the poem continues to thrive by revealing his/ her introspective character, from observing external factors to assessing oneself and maybe relying on his/ her own sense of direction.