Silences by D. H. Lawrence

The poem suggests that silence isn’t just one empty concept; it encompasses a variety of experiences—natural, seasonal, relational, and ultimately, mortal. Lawrence urges us to regard silence with the same seriousness as we do speech, as it conveys equally significant meaning.

It’s a free verse lyric poem, which is characteristic of Lawrence. He doesn’t use a regular rhyme scheme or fixed meter; instead, he opts for a rhythm that develops through repetition and accumulation—listing various types of silence like you would items in a collection.

He refers to the tense, uneasy silence that occurs when two people can't or won't express their true feelings. This is not the same as a peaceful quiet; it’s filled with unspoken emotions, and Lawrence views it as one of the most meaningful silences there is.

Nature serves as the poem's backbone and its most striking imagery — the turning wheel, the winter solstice, the profound stillness of the non-human world. For Lawrence, nature feels more genuine and vibrant than human social life, so anchoring the poem in these natural silences lends them weight and significance.

Meditative and precise. Lawrence comes across as someone who has deeply reflected on what many often overlook. The tone remains steady, even as the poem approaches death at the end — there's a sense of seriousness without any rush or fear.

Not exclusively, but the poem ultimately leads to death. Lawrence explores various types of silence before arriving at the final, definitive one. Death is the concluding term in the series, the silence that gives all the others their significance.

The catalogue form is essential to his argument. By placing silences next to each other — cosmic, seasonal, interpersonal, mortal — he illustrates that while they are interconnected, they remain distinct. The list embodies the concept: silence isn't a single entity, and recognizing the differences is important.

It uses free verse, reflects a fascination with non-human nature, and shows a skepticism toward overly polished language, which are hallmarks of his poetry. While it’s more subdued and abstract compared to the animal poems in Birds, Beasts and Flowers, it shares the same underlying instinct — a quest to uncover something genuine beneath the everyday facade of life.