Ian Moore’s “The Man That Waits For the Sun”

Ian Moore’s “The Man That Waits for the Sun” is an excellent example of the pantoum form. All of the even numbered lines are repeated in the following stanza, which means that all of the poem’s lines are repeated except for lines 1,3, 10, and 12. This repetition emphasizes the picture formed by Moore’s words, by reminding the reader what to imagine. This clarity of form becomes more necessary as the content develops mysteriously.
Moore’s language, unlike his concise form, creates a dark, almost ambiguous figure of “a man.” Because the moment of the poem is before the sun has risen, the overall image set by the piece is darkness. In addition to the darkness, as in lack of physical light, there is a darkness of meaning because of lack of descriptive details. The man in the poem is “crouched and unseen,” which is the perfect way to describe the hidden answers behind the many questions I have about the poem. Who is the man? Where is he? What kind of tool does he have? What is his profession? Certainly Moore has shown skill by inciting such curiosity.
The most poignant moment in the piece is when Moore describes the man as “Thinking not of what is coming and what has been done.” Whatever the man is doing, and wherever he is, the time he spends “waiting for the sun” is also spent purely focused on the present with no pressures or distractions from the past or future.
In terms of revision I found myself wanting more! I wanted to know the answers to the questions. This man could be fishing in his backyard in 2009, or he could be cleaning of his sword in ancient Greece. I needed more clues. What Moore supplies is beautiful, but the fact that the pantoum form is not complete, because every line is not repeated, makes sense when compared to the feeling that the story is incomplete as well.
Cara Beth Heath T/R 10:50