In ‘Mountain Evening Song’ by Jeffrey Robin, an evening campfire enchants the speaker and those whom he shares it with. His exclamations of wonder build into a primal chant that encapsulates how everyone who sits around the fire shares an understanding. Away from the trappings of human civilization, the speaker finds a more profound connection with his companions.
Summary
In Robin’s ‘Mountain Evening Song,’ the speaker marvels at the campfire he shares with his companions.
The fire transforms how he sees them, illuminating the kindness in their eyes and faces. Over the course of the poem, Robin establishes a chant-like rhythm to show that the speaker is entering a primal ritual. In the final lines, the speaker affirms that he has become more deeply connected with his companions through the experience.
Structure and Form
‘Mountain Evening Song’ is a free verse poem composed of 17 lines and six stanzas. It is loosely structured as a song, with a refrain in the fifth stanza. The repetition of certain words and exclamations also establishes a unique rhythm and lyricism. Throughout the piece, Robins weaves these unfinished thoughts and phrases into a coherent whole.
Literary Devices
- Repetition: Robin employs repetition to create an excited rhythm. The speaker repeats the word “campfire” throughout the poem, and the entire fifth stanza is a refrain of the first.
- Caesura: The speaker often interrupts his thoughts with breaks in the middle of a line, as in lines 2, 3, and 11, which captures his joyous enthusiasm.
- Parenthesis: Robin uses parentheses in lines 5 and 10 to suggest the speaker’s thoughts as he looks around at his companions.
- Assonance: In stanzas 1 and 5, the assonance of the words in the second two lines combines with the repetition of “campfire” to create a rhythm for the poem-song.
Detailed Analysis
Stanza One
Sitting around the campfire
Lo! — the campfire !
Know — the campfire is known
In the first stanza, Robin quickly establishes the setting “around the campfire” but does not provide further detail. Over the course of the poem, we learn a little more about the circumstances of this campfire, which adds a sense of mystery and excitement. The speaker engages directly with the reader through exclamations of wonder. His use of “Lo!” a word that peaked in popularity in the 1800s, adds an old-fashioned quality to the song. The assonance of “Lo,” “Know,” and “known” also gives it a chant-like rhythm.
The fragmented structure, marked by frequent pauses and unfinished phrases, suggests that the speaker is living in the moment rather than taking the time to form precise thoughts. Moreover, the campfire being “known” implies an understanding, as if the speaker is discovering the fire as he describes it. This further emphasizes his wonder and excitement.
Stanza Two
The fire!
(…)
Are seen
The speaker continues to be drawn in by the “fire,” and his childlike joy has a primal quality. Fire is foundational to human civilization, with myths like Prometheus explaining how it was discovered. The parenthetical specifying that it is a “campfire” echoes the previous line like a call and response, which emphasizes the communal quality of the text.
The capitalization of “The/ Faces” suggests the light of the fire has transformed the speaker’s companions into unfamiliar faces. Robin uses “Are seen,” as opposed to “I see,” to divorce the lines from the speaker’s perspective subtly. The campfire has become a character of its own, whose hypnotic power transforms the speaker’s perspective.
Stanzas 3-4
( some of the faces look so kind )
(…)
The gentle visions in each Eye
Robin isolates a parenthetical in the third stanza, as the speaker realizes, “some of the faces look so kind.” The use of “so” adds a sweet earnestness to the line. The campfire leads the speaker to view the other people as “kind” and “gentle.” He sees “visions” in their eyes, which suggests both the illumination of the fire and the warmth of their companionship.
The capitalization of “Eye” makes it seem as if they all share one eye, while the exclamation of “See!” further pulls in the reader to experience the magic of the campfire circle.
Stanzas 5-6
Sitting around the campfire
Lo ! — the campfire !
(…)
The campfire is known
By those who sit around the flames
In the final stanzas, the speaker repeats the first stanza, which highlights that this poem is a “song” and has a communal refrain. It acts as a chant, a ritual in which everyone around the campfire is engaging.
The speaker then proclaims that “those who sit around the flames” mystically “know” the campfire, implying that these companions also know each other on a deeper, even spiritual level. With its enchanting flames, the campfire has reshaped how the speaker and his companions see themselves, giving them access to an ecstatic, primal state of being.
FAQs
The title refers to the poem’s setting—the mountains—and its form—a song. With these aspects established, the reader understands why the speaker is sitting around a campfire and what purpose the poem serves.
The speaker in ‘Mountain Evening Song’ is never specified. As a result, the poem feels like it could be taking place at any campfire, which allows readers to relate to the poem’s imagery in their own way.
Similar Poems
- ‘Night on the Mountain’ by George Sterling — also sees the speaker experience the ancient wonder of the mountains.
- ‘Sleeping in the Forest’ by Mary Oliver — sees the speaker find deep joy and peace from sleeping outdoors.
