I know My soul - by Claude McKay

I plucked my soul out of its secret place,
And held it to the mirror of my eye,
To see it like a star against the sky,
A twitching body quivering in space,
A spark of passion shining on my face.
And I explored it to determine why
This awful key to my infinity
Conspires to rob me of sweet joy and grace.
And if the sign may not be fully read,
If I can comprehend but not control,
I need not gloom my days with futile dread,
Because I see a part and not the whole.
Contemplating the strange, I'm comforted
By this narcotic thought: I know my soul.


My Analysis

The author is looking within himself, to the very depths of his soul. And despite what’s going on in the external world, he perceives his true essence: “A spark of passion shining on my face”.

He ponders that which conspires to rob him of his sweet joy and grace while feeling reassured that even if he does not fully comprehend the gloom of the external world he remains comforted by this passionate thought of knowing his “soul”.

The poem is thought provoking and prompts the reader to ponder a similar consideration.

http://www.poets.org/…/prmPID/25