Lyrics & Meaning
💡 Meaning & story
The Central Theme of the Poem
The fundamental subject of this poem is "Escapism." Here the poet perceives "life" in the form of a terrifying reality (a bloodthirsty wolf), and to escape from its sufferings, responsibilities, and bitterness, he seeks refuge in the temporary and imaginary world of the dance hall.
Stanza-by-Stanza Explanation and Meaning:
• Flight from Life and Fear: The poet tells his dance partner to hold him firmly, because he has come here exhausted and fleeing from the troubles of the real world outside (life). He is constantly haunted by the dread that life might suddenly enter through some secret door of the dance hall and find him indulged in these moments of temporary peace or "the crime of joy."
• The Whirl of Dance and Trampling Sorrows: He compares the circles of dance to an obscure and endless grinding mill. In the swift pace of this dance, he wishes to crush all his sorrows and burdens beneath his feet. He desires that before life's bitterness can overcome him again, he should cast out every stone of pain from within himself.
• The Truth of the Stranger Woman (Dance Partner): The poet is fully aware that the beautiful and foreign woman with whom he dances is neither his true love, nor is there any possibility of meeting her again in the future. Yet she has become a symbol of all those incomplete desires and dreams that he could never attain in real life. The more he fears life, the closer he draws to this stranger woman.
• The Man of the Past and Helplessness: In the final stanza, he confesses his inner powerlessness. He says he is no longer that strong man of the past who had the courage to fight against circumstances. The world's imprisonment and the bondage of tradition have rendered his desires colorless and weak. He can lean upon the body of this stranger woman, but he has lost the strength to pounce upon life's hardships or face them. Therefore, he makes one final plea to be held, so that this temporary refuge may endure.
Summary: This poem expresses that psychological state of man wherein, terrified by the sorrows of the real world, he seeks shelter in some temporary beauty, art, or imagination, even though he knows this refuge is not permanent.