English Literature

Henry Coles poem The Roman Baths at Nimes reflects the feeling of loss and remorse over loosing a dear friend. Coles use of diction and melancholic tone convey the meaning behind the lines of the poem that is particular to the adroitness of Cole. The rhyming words help to sustain the interest of the readers, for whom it might be difficult to unveil the myth hidden behind the mysterious words but they find their meaning and relish the beauty of the rhyming words. The title of the poem alludes to the great Roman power and Nemesis.

Nemesis has significant historical role in the history of the Roman Empire. Roman city was founded by veterans of the Roman army in Egypt. Roman name of the city was Colonia Augusta Nemeses, later shortened to Nemeses and hence Nemesis. Nemesis was the name of the Gallic god who frequented the ancient sacred spring around which the colony grew up. Nemesis fell after the decline of the Roman Empire by the hands of the Barbarians. The allusion to Nemesis enhances the glory of the poem and the poem gets a classical touch.  

Coles The Roman Baths at Nimes is included in his third collection of the poems, Look of Things. In the book Coles voice is echoed through the words in the poems but his appearance is equal to absence. While his real mastery, that distinguishes him from other poets, lies in the fact that he appears as a distant observer while making his readers feel his appearance at the same time. Coles poems in the third book voice tension between social and spiritual life, between desire for company and for solitude, between youth and ravages of desire, between the American and the exotic (Cole). Cole deals his conflicting themes with the help of multifarious tones that he chooses for each of his poems. In some poems his tone is satiric, while in other poem he experiments with elegiac which in some other poem turns into self-deprecating. Coles Look of the Things reflects the way he looks at the things around him. Coles religious and sensual stance is not found in the poems that shows that his objects of observation are common things, out of which he extracts profound themes. His pattern of thinking and feelings are reflected through his words.

In the poem The Roman Baths at Nimes Cole seems to be engaged in communion with himself as his words echo in the hall of mirrors where nobody speaks. The empty hall of mirrors reminds the speaker of the poem of his solitude as he says if I touch the darkness it touches me. Nobody speaks or dare to speak in the hall of mirrors because if they would speak they would not be able to hide their reality that is bleak. Coles words reflect his resent over hypocrisy and cowardice of people because they put on a garb on their faces that is hidden from the eyes of the world and they do not have courage to face themselves before their own eyes in the mirror. Therefore they have pursed their lips. Cole words place the readers in the position of decocting his lines for double meanings. The people in the hall of mirrors do not speak because they are not brave or because they are not allowed to do so. The hall has an impact on its visitors and mesmerizes them that they do not speak. In the hall an ember smolders before hollowed cheeks. The poet wants to convey a sense of emptiness through his diction as the word hollowed cheeks suggests of senility of the visitors who are not enthusiastic like young people. In the hall someone empties pockets, loose changes and keysin a locker. The speaker cries with surprise, my god, forgive me for an unknown reason, as if he has seen an unpleasant act or that he is awaken of a nightmare.

The diction and melancholic tone of the poem create a sad atmosphere found at the time of funeral ceremonies. The rhythmic lines of the poem make the readers feel the flow like that of a whirlpool. The readers drift in the waves of the poets words. Nearly towards the end of the poem, the speaker who seemed to engage in soliloquy finds a hearer as he requests to his friend I swear to you, my friend to see my face in lamplight and that good things would make something sweet of fear. The speaker seems to sympathize with his friend to make him or her to get rid of fear of darkness, but the speakers request is more profound than it appears. The speakers friend is now dead as he says in the steam room, inconsolable tears fallagainst us and he wants to save his friends body riding against death in the whirlpool. The speaker has lost his friend and he has lost his love, now he is left with regret and emptiness. He has been left alone with the memories of his love that remained disclosed. Now that he is alone he recalls what people used to say about love, some say love, disclosed, repels what it sees, but he has nothing in his hand except darkness which touches him when he touches it.

Coles choice of formal qualities is nonetheless unique as is the theme running behind his collection of the poems. When he uses end-rhymes the content of his verses come under the danger of being neglected by the beauty of the form. Cole uses formalistic qualities not for the purpose of beautifying his poems but it adds up the meaning of his poems. At some places the form of the poem appears to be sparse as if it is the inner feelings of the speaker that the form of the poem is representing. The speaker is broken of grief.

The poem is about loss and regret. Cole conveys his theme through every aspect of the poem, whether it is the diction or the tone, they together convey feeling of innermost remorse. The rhyming couplets of The Roman Baths at Nemesis, however, do not let the attention of the reader to weaver from the pleasure of reading it. The words appear as flow of water as the poet says, In the hall of mirrors nobody speaksan ember smolders before hollowed cheeks, the words at the end of each line are like words of a song. The poem leaves a bleak feeling over the readers but they enjoy reading it because of the rhythm of the poem. Cole is fascinated by surfaces of things and the title of his third book Look of The Things, from where the poem under analysis has been taken, speaks for his concern. In his poems he has attempted to explore the surfaces of human behavior and appearance. The Roman Baths at Nemesis stands aloof from his other poems owing to the beauty that the allusion of Nemesis adds into it. The poet who is fascinated by look of the things attempts to explore profound themes in the poem.