Editor's Choice
What is the "quake last night" in Mona Van Duyn's "Earth Tremors Felt in Missouri"?
Quick answer:
In Mona Van Duyn's "Earth Tremors Felt in Missouri," the phrase "quake last night" refers both to a literal earthquake and a metaphorical "inner quake," symbolizing personal or existential turmoil. The poem explores themes of intimacy and human connection, questioning the nature of collective existence. The speaker reflects on how human interactions can be both beautiful and challenging, prompting readers to consider whether these reflections are positive or negative.
Mona Van Duyn's poem "Earth Tremors Felt in Missouri" is a text that likes to play with scale, and the poem is written to make the phrase "quake last night" sound as though it refers both to a literal earthquake but also to a personal "inner quake." Precisely what this inner quake—or internal strife—refers to we are never told, though phrases such as "sensuous catastrophe" suggest that it is both a beautiful and difficult experience.
What the poem does tell us is that there is a "you" whom the speaker is addressing. Most likely this is someone that the speaker knows intimately considering they are together at night. Who is this person exactly? A significant other perhaps? Or a child? Once again, we are never told, though it is clear that the speaker feels an intimate connection with them: "what secretly moves you, moves me."
What seemingly begins as...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
a literal earthquake turns into an existential crisis where the speaker is contemplating the nature of collective existence. This can best be seen in the third and final stanza which begins:
The Earth, with others on it, turns in its course
as we turn toward each other, less than ourselves, gross,
mindless, more than we were.
The tremor has apparently caused the speaker to question the manner in which human beings connect with one another in ways that are perhaps contradictory and not always clear. One question you should ask yourself when reading this poem is: "Is this a positive or negative reflection on human experience?" The answer likely will not be all one or the other, but this is the type of question that the "quakes" in the poem raise.