"Skunk Hour," closing the collection Life Studies, encapsulates its overarching themes and emotional tone, suggesting a potential resolution. Initially, the poem paints a picture of a deteriorating coastal town in Maine, capturing the essence of societal decay. A shift occurs midway, focusing on an individual’s inner turmoil, before culminating with the appearance of skunks, offering a unique and resilient symbol amidst the decay.

Decay of a Coastal Town

The opening stanzas of "Skunk Hour" describe a coastal community in Maine, languishing in decay. A reclusive "hermit heiress" epitomizes this decline by retreating from her social duties and instead, using her wealth to buy nearby properties, allowing them to deteriorate: "[S]he buys up all/ the eyesores facing her shore,/ and lets them fall." Her actions, far from rejuvenating the area, contribute to its desolation. Similarly, the "summer millionaire" has vanished, leaving behind a sickly season. This is illustrated through the imagery of "A red fox stain covers Blue Hill." A "fairy decorator" attempts to breathe life into the town with a shop stocked with once-practical items like fishnets and orange cork, now merely decorative. However, with no financial success from his endeavors, he contemplates marriage for gain, turning love into a marketable asset in a society that has lost its vitality.

A Personal Struggle

Transitioning from societal decay to personal disarray, the poem shifts focus to the Lowell speaker, who is engulfed in madness and seeks out sexual encounters. The setting is foreboding: "One dark night," a reference not just to time but also to Saint John of the Cross’s Dark Night of the Soul. The speaker's car crawls up "the hill’s skull," reminiscent of Golgotha, in search of "love-cars." These vehicles sit "hull to hull" where "the graveyard shelves on the town," a potent image of mechanical intimacy amid a macabre backdrop overlooking the town. In his despair, the speaker confesses, "My mind’s not right," and further concludes, "I myself am hell;/ nobody’s here." The former echoes John Milton’s Satan in Paradise Lost, while the latter reinforces the isolation and decay introduced at the poem's onset.

Emergence of an Alternative Symbol

Despite the bleak portrayal of both society and the individual, hope emerges in the final stanzas. A group of skunks confidently parades down Main Street, passing the "chalk-dray and spar spire/ of the Trinitarian Church," which no longer provides spiritual sustenance. In the concluding stanza, the speaker observes "a mother skunk with her column of kittens swills the garbage pail./ She jabs her wedge-head in a cup/ of sour cream, drops her ostrich tail,/ and will not scare." These skunks represent a modern, apt symbol that, while not redeeming the speaker’s world, offers an alternative perspective. They thrive on the decay depicted in the poem's first section, refusing to succumb to the speaker’s morose mindset. The scene also highlights a nurturing mother caring for her "kittens," a stark contrast to the barren and disconnected human society.

Enduring Popularity and Symbolism

"Skunk Hour" stands out as one of Lowell's most celebrated works, adeptly capturing the complexities faced by both society and individuals while presenting a striking natural symbol countering both struggles. In modern poetry, traditional symbols of nature have lost their immediate resonance. Lowell, however, did not rely on established icons like eagles or hawks; instead, he ingeniously crafted a fresh symbolism through the humble skunk. This new emblem serves as a testament to survival and adaptability in the face of decay and isolation.