Final Notation is written with simple and limited amount of words.

Yet the poem is not easy

to understand, the reader can explain the poem in many ways because it is not clear who
the speaker is? it can be a doctor, a lover or a friend.

The poem is the Adrienne’s last message to the new world with its problems and difficulties.
She discusses how unusual things become usual, how pain becomes pleasure, and how
difficulties become easy. All things become acceptable with time.

The theme of the poem can be personal, social or medical, it differs according to the
speaker. The style is simple and the repetition through out the poem is an emphasis on the
importance of the theme.

Final Notation by Adrienne Rich is a simple, short poem having no stylistic

ambiguity. However, the poem can be read at many levels, having layers within
layers of meaning. As a poem of modern age, it can be primarily interpreted as a
description of first physical union between the lover and the beloved. The first two
stanzas are particularly important in this regard. Women are by nature shy and the
first experience of physical relationship is always terrific for them. Here the male
partner tries to convince her that tough this process is not simple, it will not last
long. It will be completed in just few moments, but it embodies immense pleasure
and joy that will make hold of the whole body, heart and soul. Thus, it seems that
the poem is a study of intra-psychic motivation and emotions associated with the
first experience of adolescent intercourse.
However, in opposition to the feelings described in the first two stanzas the
next stanza embodies the theme of hatred towards man and purely feministic
thoughts. It can be described as a protest of a woman being exploited by man. In
this Male- Chauvinistic Society woman is treated as a chattel, a slave and as a
thing which man can take anywhere at his own will. Even in this radically modern
world women are obliterated, stoned, raped and executed in order to suppress their
sexuality, that suffocates women’s human obligations to contribute to society,
wasting their brains and hearts and skills. However, in the last two lines Rich
consoles women by saying that this night of cruelty suffered by women at the
hands of men is soon going to be over. Woman of 21st century is more aware of her
rights than the past and she will be no more exploited by man.
“It will be short; it will take all your breath. It will be simple; it will
become your will”.
The poem can be interpreted in another way as well. It may be described as
the description of the final stage of man’s life-final notation or a message given
from deathbed. From mystical point of view death is a sweet thing, which takes
away all the worries and cares of life in a few moments. It is not something which
should be scared of. Leaving this world is not simple, but the balmy hand of death
resolves all the problems. It draws soul from the heart, takes away breath, breaks
the chain of life passing through ribs, and numbs the mind. It will occupy the
whole being and sullen flesh would melt. Man cannot evade death-he cannot
withstand it. Death takes away our soul to a place, which nobody knows. In a few
moments death destroys all the might plan of man and stops our breath from
flowing out. It is the short journey of man-so simple. The first line of the poem
starts with the words:
“It will not be simple”
but ends with the line:
“It will be simple.”
This is actually the journey of man’s life-the distance between birth and
death. Man does not accept the reality of life and keeps on fooling himself by
thinking that his death is not possible but when it takes him on headlong then he
realizes that it is very simple. This is the destiny of man.
Theme of Eagerness and Oneness in Love

It will be short, it will take all your breath

It will be simple, it will become your will

Final Notations can also be taken to be a pure love poem in which the poet wants to
achieve pure love regardless of the metaphysical speculations of Donne or casualness of
Surrey-Wyatt in a concise and simple language. The most important point in lovemaking is
eagerness and wilfulness. It is not difficult to achieve this state if sure determination and
seriousness is show. This seriousness leads to oneness of the lovers when love becomes a
passion or will of the two.

Unfaithfulness of the lover

You are coming into us who cannot withstand you

You are coming into us who never wanted to withstand you

You are taking parts of us into places never planned

You are going far away with pieces of our lives

The lover has left her beloved and went on to establish relations with some other woman
and as a result he leaves a note behind giving her instructions that she should forget him.
The above lines are an ample proof of this interpretation. The beloved outbursts into the
above lines. The repetition of ‘coming into’ reinforces the idea of establishing relation with
the beloved first and the phrase ‘pieces of life’symbolises faithlessness and quit love on part
of the lover. The love once developed in the beloved by the lover is disintegrating and those
pieces are being shared by the lover with some body else.
Style, Imagery, Symbolism and Technique

The style of the poem is simple. There is no stylistic ambiguity. The only ambiguity lies in
the nature of theme or the message of the speaker and also the identity of the speaker and
the addressee needs to be resolved by different speculations from the reader. The themes
of the poem range from personal to social, medical, psychological, political and emotional.

The repetition of different lines and words show intensity and importance of the theme
(though theme is not directly addressed by the poet, it is to be explicated by the reader on
the strength of his speculation. The lines are erratic which symbolise the complexity of the
theme, again whatever it may be.

The title has been made ambitious. Does it related to music, dictation or what? In short, the
poem is not rich in great images or symbols. The only thing important about the poem is
complexity and that is what it is rich in.

Conclusion

Cutting the long story short, we can say that the poem depends on the experience of the
reader for various interpretations. The complexity of the poem is also caused by the
extreme subjectivity in the poem. The poem is too personal to understand in its true
perspective. This complexity is the typical characteristic of modern American poetry which is
based on confessional and experimental nature of their artists.

Point to Remember:
 The poem contains layers within layers of meaning and can be
interpreted in many different ways.
 Firstly, it describes the first physical union between man and a woman.
 It also shows the hatred of a woman for males of the society.
 It can also be interpreted as the final stage of one’s life.

PLEASE ADD THEME OF LOVE , FAITHLESSNESS, RELATIONSHIP.

5) The poem can be interpretted in an other way as well. It may be described as the description of
the final stage of man's life - final notation or a message given from a death bed.
6) From mystical point of view death is a sweet thing which takes away all the worreis and cares of
life in a few moments. It is not something which should be scared of. Leaving this world is not
simple, but the balmy hand of death resolves all the problems.
7) It draws soul from the heart, takes away breath and breaks the chain of life passing through ribs
and numbs the mind. It will occupy the whole beings and sullen flesh would melt.
8) Man cannot evade death -- he cannot withstand it. Death takes away our sould to play which
nobody knows. In a few moments death breath from flowing out.
9) It is the short journey of man -- so simple. The first line of the poem starts with the words:
"It will not be simple"
but ends with the line:
"It will be simple."
10) This is actually the journey of man's life -- the distance between birth and death. Man does not
accept the reality of life and keeps on fooling himself by thinking that his death is not possible but
when it takes him on headlong then he realizes that it is very