Summary

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Line 1

In the captivating opening of "Perfect Light," the speaker directly addresses a "you," suggesting a gaze upon an image of this person. Though a photograph is not explicitly mentioned, the words "There you are" hint at its presence, a notion that the poem later unmistakably confirms. This initial line introduces the theme of "innocence," a word that will echo thrice throughout the poem, here hinting at the pure essence captured in the woman's visage.

Lines 2–3

As the poem continues, these lines paint a vivid picture of the woman amid her daffodils—a motif destined to appear five times. Line 2 unveils the scene, revealing her "Posed" in a photograph that could bear the title " 'Innocence.'" This quick repetition of "innocence" underscores the speaker's perception of the woman as a beacon of purity and untouched simplicity.

Lines 4–5

The phrase "perfect light," both the poem's title and a recurring motif, emerges in line 4 to describe the sunlight casting its glow on the woman's face among the flowers. This "perfect" illumination highlights her resemblance to a daffodil. Line 5 intriguingly twists this comparison, using "Like" to initially draw a parallel between her beauty and that of the daffodils, before suggesting a deeper intention.

Lines 6–7

These lines draw a poignant analogy between the fleeting existence of daffodils and the woman's brief sojourn amidst them, hinting at an impending sorrow. Yet, a gentle affection underpins the speaker's words. Line 7 introduces another figure in the image, held tenderly by the woman.

Lines 8–10

The image reveals a secondary subject: the woman's "new son," cradled "Like a teddy bear." A few weeks "into his innocence," he embodies purity, mirroring the childlike aura of the woman who holds him. Elevating the scene to a divine level, the speaker likens them to the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus, transforming innocence into sanctity.

Lines 11–13

These lines bring to light a third figure: the woman's "daughter, barely two," joyfully laughing up at her mother. As line 12 ends with "Like a daffodil," it seems to describe the child, but instead, it once again draws the comparison to the woman. She now resembles a daffodil bending downward as she whispers to her daughter.

Line 14

In the final line of the first stanza, the poem's tone and setting subtly shift. The woman's words to her daughter are lost to the speaker, and the camera too fails to grasp them. The notion of "lost" transcends her fate, casting a shadow over the speaker, their union, and their love.

Lines 15–17

The gentle, pastoral imagery of the first stanza gives way to a somber voice and warlike imagery in the second. The speaker depicts the hill where the woman sits as a "moated fort hill, bigger than [her] house." This protective imagery suggests her vulnerability. The "knowledge / Inside the hill," resonating from the first stanza's closing, symbolizes the secrets absorbed by the earth.

Lines 18–20

The phrase "Failed to reach the picture" highlights the "knowledge" from line 15, emphasizing that her words remain unrevealed. With stark imagery, time is personified as an infantryman emerging slowly from no-man’s-land. This battlefield term underscores a personal conflict, leaving its cause and opponents shrouded in mystery.

Lines 21–22

"Bowed under something" and "never reached you" hark back to the woman’s "next moment" in line 18. Her future "never reached" parallels her unspoken words, now lost to the photograph. The poem's closing line foreshadows her destiny, as her moment "Simply melted into the perfect light," implying something ominously far from perfection.

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Themes

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