The Underground

An ode to Dostoevsky's Underground Man

The man underground
glares down, up and around,
he does not think of you,
but all that you are,

 

Five senses
and a mind, made up,
secluded intentions,
staring underground.

 

He rarely speaks,
but always thinks
in contradicting space
that lies between his eyes.

 

He rarely knows
your pains or ponders,
but knows of them,
isolated by possibilities.

 

You rarely walk
away in comfort,
strung down
by his broken lure.

 

He rarely kills
loneliness, cold depression,
his frozen time
moves forward still.

 

He is none and all,
all in one
and won't accept
the burning sun.

 

His shape, always,
a circle without circumference,
inescapable, ill fated,
a dot without symmetry.

 

He never dies
his whole life, alive,
with five senses
and a mind

 

of secluded
intentions,
staring,
underground.

Author's Note

http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/DosNote.html
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/underground/

Just in case you are unfamiliar with the book, here is a link to the ENTIRE text! And if you aren't in the mood to read all that, I've posted the link to the novel's Sparknotes.

Reviews

[Sarah]

What a great poem. o= I love all the contrasts in this man's character, and it's very beautifully described in your poem! My favorite stanza is "He never dies / his whole life, alive / with five senses / and a mind" Great flow! ^_^