For as long as I can remember, I have had a great interest in mystery and hidden meanings; they have always been a subject that intrigues me and makes me want to know more or even solve it. When I read the title of the poem “Morning on the Island” by Carolyn Forché, I found it interesting because it was a short poem that did not require so much effort; moreover, I already have experience reading other works based on islands in general. Carolyn Forché released her work “Morning on the Island” on April 19, 2010.

Forché’s poem is narrated in the first person (I assume the author is the protagonist). The character of the poem finds herself isolated on an island, accompanied by nothing but the nature of the place. I feel connected to the main character, not specifically because she is isolated on an island, but because in her day-to-day life, she lives in solitude despite the fact that there are constantly “ships playing music in the harbor.” Almost two years ago, I moved to another country with a language and culture totally different from that of my place of origin, I tried to adapt and include myself in everything that this beautiful new world could offer me, but many times, it was rejected and set aside, this over time caused me to get tired of trying to get together with others and caused me to appreciate the beauty that there is in solitude without the help of the pressure to fit in with others. Even though there is activity outside, I decided to enjoy my solitude as the character in the poem. 

When reading “Morning on the Island,” I was able to highlight the special focus that the author gave to nature. She describes various animals as being alone or as if they were the last of their species. Forché uses descriptions such as “the only owl remaining,” “the last of the mice,” and “imaginary fish” in function to express the steady decline in the population of the animal species on our planet. Forché describes these animals in this way, probably to make us think of them as spectators as if there were more members of those species living on the island before, but for some strange reason, they were diminishing. Like the character in the poem, these animals are also found alone, isolated from their own population. Somehow, despite their loneliness, animals follow their own purposes. The owl hunts “the last of the mice,” “a strange beetle has eaten most of the trees,” and they use their solitude in function to do great things.

We as humans usually see loneliness as something negative, something that prevents us from developing in social life and probably in our future. Forché’s intention in this poem is to change that common thought. She wants to show us how beautiful there can be within solitude. When we are with friends or family, we tend to behave either more funny to make our peers laugh or even more respectfully so that our family members have a good view of us. I sometimes engage in these behaviors to please people, but I wonder if that was really me or if I was just hiding under an imaginary mask. When I’m with people, I experience the pressure of being able to fit in with them, but when I’m alone, I really feel more confident in myself, I feel calmer and more relaxed, but not necessarily happier. Forché describes some aspects of the island without remorse or sadness; maybe she learned to live isolated from any social interaction, or perhaps she found comfort in herself and discovered herself in depth. Loneliness is not a really bad thing. It is a space that we can use to calm down and get to know ourselves better so that we can love ourselves more without having to worry about the opinions of others. But being in solitude for a long time is not good either. You just have to experience it in moderation.

The constant development of civilization and industrialization is the reason for the decline of natural life. Not only the animals are affected but also their environment; around the island, there are remains of “the bones of conifers” that in the past will have been alive and fulfilling their function in the environment. While the animals and vegetation die, “the lights across the water are the waking city” that continues to grow strongly while there are only a few bones of the conifers and probably of other plants in the future as well. When I got to this part of the poem, I was stunned; within the lines, there were thousands of ideas that could be interpreted differently by each person. I assumed that Forché mostly used this poem as a complaint against the constant industrialization that implies more destruction of our planet. If human beings continue with their greed for development regardless of the life on the earth, at some point, there will be no life left in this world; probably only human beings would survive, but we would be totally alone as if we were on an island isolated from everyone else. I’ve seen and heard many people concerned about the destruction of natural life. Everyone empathizes, but no one really does anything to stop it or change it.