Summary Of July Man By Margaret Avison

Picture a drunken old man in the park observing the world as it goes by. He’s not causing a disturbance; he is simply sitting and “weeping” as he watches “the hurting motes of time.” Why is the old man crying? Why is time in pain? It is because the old man finds the recent changes in society to be a hindrance for it. These changes have made life unoriginal, loud, and superficial. In Margaret Avison’s poem “July Man” she writes a social commentary on how life is lived by current generations through her use metaphor, imagery and diction.

The incessant repetition of the buzzing sound a bee makes annoys many people. Avison compares people to this sound “buzzing populace” because people are always talking or moving even when it should be silent. Avison wants people to take the time to be quiet and/or still so that they can appreciate their surroundings without being distracted by others things.

Avison creates vivid and descriptive images in the poem so that the reader receives a personal experience of the point she is trying to make.

Avison puts the reader into the poem by making he/she sit in front of a park fountain. It is usually quite relieving to sit in a local park and watch the park fountain spew water from its spout and watch it crash down against the still water in the fountain’s bowl. The sound of crashing water clears the mind into a state of reflection and ease “In the sound of the fountain you rest.” However, a “rushing river of cars” creates “a heart-stopping blurt” that interrupts this state of reflection and ease, causing the reader to be one with the rushing society. In this image, Avison points out that society is not able to take the time to reflect and relax because it is always in a state of rapid motion, there are very little breaks. Avison wants society to take a break and notice the little things in life that can actually mean a

lot.
Avison uses a lot of diction to explain her feelings on society. For example, she says that people have “square shadows.” In reality, everyone has their own unique shadow regardless of how similar it is to another. A shadow represents a person’s individuality because it provides a silhouette of a person’s unique body structure. However, Avison points out that people are no longer becoming unique. In certain cultures, a square is considered being bland and uniform, basically lacking originality. Avison believes that society is become unoriginal because people are following the same trends and trying to look like a different person. In addition to the lack of originality in society, Avison uses diction to point out how people are not appreciating nature and their surroundings.
The sun is beautiful star that provides our planet with sunlight and warmth. Sunlight, a beauty itself, shines upon beautiful things that the Earth has to offer: water, animals, landscapes and people. However, we are unable to recognize such beauty because we are too absorbed and/or distracted by the meaningless things in life “none of us knows its weight, sudden sunlight, falling on your hands and arms, in your lap, all, all, in time.” Society needs to take time and appreciate the ground in which we all live on instead of ignoring and destroying it.
Even though society needs to reform in order to grow, it should not forget the small yet key aspects to life that make it sane and worth living. Being original, maintain peace and quiet, and appreciating the Earth will allow society to be more respectful and appreciative to one another.