The Shadow

by John Hollander

This poem uses very interesting imagery, it uses descriptions of light to describe the lack of it. Line breaks are also used cleverly to further the imagery of shadows. The poet writes:

"[...] in a room whose ceiling
Light was accidentally switched off-- [...]"

The line break mid-phrase creates a more vivid description for the scene the poet tries to paint. While saying that the ceiling light was accidentally switched off, the poet says at the same time that "Light was accidentally switched off" creating the image of total darkness. In numerous other lines Hollander breaks the sentences in ways such that every line can stand on its own as a striking image, as well as have meaning when the whole sentence is read. The speaker in the poem seems to be talking to another person, however from the way he refers to the other person it almost seems like he his referring to his shadow, because of how the other speaker only appears in darkness. The poem almost seems to be an homage to Allegory of the Den where a man believes reality to be what he sees in shadows.