The plain and dull life of most of the people in the society is the theme of this poem. The poet has tried to comment upon the mundane and the meaningless lives lead by many people. The whole set up of the houses described in this poem is such it creates an image of the emptiness and plainness of the people in the society.’
Haunted by white night –gowns’ is to project a ghostly image of the inhabitants in the houses. It only indicates that the people inhabiting the houses are cold and empty inside just like ghosts. The same garb worn by all the occupants is to suggest that the society is so much alike in their boringness and hollowness.
The absurd part which is the absence of any of the colors, other than white, symbolizes the absence of any passion and cheerfulness in the lives of the people. The lack of colors is actually the lack of purpose and meaning in their lives.
Also the words ‘None’ and ‘not’ are used at the beginning of the line to emphasize darkness and emptiness. Repetitions and comparisons have added an artistic imagery to the theme. A negative sense emanates through the poem.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
A contrast between a ‘sailor’s life’ and the life of these inhabitants is brought to light. The sailor is very different in his traits and personality from the people living in the society. The people in these houses fail to dream like a sailor. A sailor can catch tigers in red weather in his dreams but the people of the houses never dream of baboons and periwinkles. They are so dull that they do not have an eye for beauty. Nothing appeals them, even the bright colors.
The sailor however enjoys dreaming of things which are colorful or exciting. The sailor has gone far and wide to gather enough of knowledge and inner strength to be able to dream freely and live a life full of excitement. The inhabitants of the house on the contrary are confined to their houses and leading an uninteresting life without dreaming anything.
The poem is an attempt to critically analyze the lives of most people in the society who never enjoy life freely and passionately. The conformity of society to certain standards of living has been reflected through comparison to ghosts wearing white night-gowns. The deadliness and monotony in people’s life gives a picture of how traditional the people are inside. The sailor is however more open in his outlook and has learnt to dream and enjoy life.
Although the poem uses a negative tone through the first half, the idea is to persuade the people to be like the sailor, who the poet talks about towards the end of the poem. The poet has tried to influence them to think freely and come out of their cocoons and try new things rather than living a confined life. Thus they must learn to enjoy life freely in order to make it interesting.