Poem No. 20 - In Broken Images

Robert Graves 

He was born in 1895 in Wimbledon, a suburb of London. He worked in many capacities. He was known as a poet, lecturer and novelist. He was also known as a classicist and a mythographer. His first known and revered poems were the poems Graves wrote behind the lines in World War One. He later became known as one of the most superb English language 'Love' poets. He then became recognised as one of the finest love poets writing in the English language. 

In Broken Images 

 He is quick, thinking in clear images;

 I am slow, thinking in broken images.

He becomes dull, trusting to his clear images;

I become sharp, mistrusting my broken images,

Trusting his images, he assumes their relevance;

Mistrusting my images, I question their relevance.

Assuming their relevance, he assumes the fact,

Questioning their relevance, I question the fact.

When the fact fails him, he questions his senses;

When the fact fails me, I approve my senses.

He continues quick and dull in his clear images;

I continue slow and sharp in my broken images.

He in a new confusion of his understanding;

I in a new understanding of my confusion.

Robert Graves

Audio of the poem "In Broken Images"

What does the poet mean in his poem?

In this poem, Robert Graves the poet tries his best to give us the two different types of approaches towards life. The one who keeps on working continuously and keep on finding the solutions to problems. He should not be overconfident and have a selective view of life. One is the blind follower of the ready truths and concepts concocted either by the religion, politics, or society while the other believes in analysing and questioning what appears to be either a fact known or explained already by these institutions or a mystification or question needs to be resolved and determined by this person. The slow person becomes sharp whereas the sharp becomes dull by what he already knows. 

Explanation of "In Broken Images"

In this poem, Graves compares his reasoning to that of another person. He is of the view that the other person is able to solve problems faster than he is able to but he considers this as a weakness. This leads to his overconfidence.  It is a weakness according to Graves because there is too much trust placed on the already learnt or know facts.  The rules become second nature to the students, and the students succeed as a result. However, the important thing is to actually be able to understand why something is a rule or a “fact” because many rules have exceptions to them. Graves highlights the point that eventually the rules you were taught or the “facts” you were taught will fail and that is when it will have paid off to have analyzed every piece of information that was received.   

Theme of The Poem (Given in the textbook of first year)

A person should remain inquisitive about the images of life whether they are broken or clear. One, who trusts one’s clear images without proof, becomes dull in one’s life whereas the other who mistrusts his broken images becomes sharp and intelligent. Nothing should be taken for granted and one should remain thoughtful and considerate about the facts of life. Inquiry into the nature of things leads one to understand and accept the ground realities of life.