One Morning By Eamon Grennan - 1158 Words

A typical novel contains many pages of rich content that can only last a reader a few days for it to be read entirely. A flower can only grow so high until its delicate petals fall off as it wilts. A dream or nightmare can only last until the person wakes up. All of these palpable and intangible objects have something in common: impermanence. They aren’t everlasting and tend to face death or some form of an ending. In Eamon Grennan’s poem â€Å"One Morning†, the speaker describes several observations of the surroundings in nature, noting the various aspects pertaining to life and death. Through a carefully constructed poetic structure with subtle remarks on the existence of a limited life, Grennan highlights the notion that no matter how much one tries to preserve something, everything – objects and life – will ultimately reach an end. Grennan makes it clear that everything, from physical objects to mental thoughts, will eventually cease to exist. T he physical objects described in the poem exhibit ephemeral states of existence. The narrator recognizes that the decaying otter flesh â€Å"carried all day the scent of this savage valediction†. The word â€Å"savage†, meaning wild or ferocious, results in a paradox with â€Å"valediction† in its connotation because valediction is almost a bittersweet type of farewell. This slight contrast in words makes it seem as though the otter’s death is prominent, stressing its distinct but tragic ending. The scent only lasted a day, which reminds the speaker