("For the Sleepwalkers" and David Allan Evan's poem "Neighbors" are the two most popular poems that Rod Torreson has used in his classroom in over thirty years of teaching at Immanuel-St. James Lutheran School.)
For the Sleepwalkers
Tonight I want to say something wonderful
for the sleepwalkers who have so much faith
in their legs, so much faith in the invisible
arrow carved into the carpet, the worn path
that leads to the stairs instead of the window,
the gaping doorway instead of the seamless mirror.
I love the way that sleepwalkers are willing
to step out of their bodies into the night,
to raise their arms and welcome the darkness,
palming the blank spaces, touching everything.
Always they return home safely, like blind men
who know it is morning by feeling shadows.
And always they wake up as themselves again.
That's why I want to say something astonishing
like: Our hearts are leaving our bodies.
Our hearts are thirsty black handkerchiefs
flying through the trees at night, soaking up
the darkest beams of moonlight, the music
of owls, the motion of wind-torn branches.
And now our hearts are thick black fists
flying back to the glove of our chests.
We have to learn to trust our hearts like that.
We have to learn the desperate faith of sleep-
walkers who rise out of their calm beds
and walk through the skin of another life.
We have to drink the stupefying cup of darkness
and wake up to ourselves, nourished and surprised.
Edward Hirsch
The Magic of Edward Hirsch: Comments by Leah Niemchick (Age 20) on "For the Sleepwalkers"
Edward Hirsch’s poem, “For the Sleepwalkers,” is an excellent example of a poem taking wild chances. In this poem, he shows the sleepwalkers being drawn to darkness; experiencing the unimaginable. In the beginning, the poem’s magic is revealed as Hirsch shows the sleepwalkers having faith in the unknown of the night. He paints a beautiful portrait of vivid images that engages, and leaps to new boundaries in his phrasing. An example would be when he says “like blind men who know its morning by feeling shadows.” His choice of words creates a lingering image that makes the reader feel and see every part. It is simply sensational because it's enticing the way it takes you through the sleepwalkers intriguing journey.
Hirsch also does rich work when describing the sleepwalkers path to the door instead of the window, and the eagerness to step out of their bodies to greet the night. The sleepwalker’s sense where they belong, by reaching their hands to feel the air surrounding them. In the fifth stanza of the poem Hirsch says, “Our hearts are leaving our bodies”. This is when the sleepwalkers' hearts suddenly come alive and take over the night, as they thirst for the moonlight that guides them.
Elsewhere, Hirsch describes the hearts as “thirsty black handkerchiefs” and “thick black fists,” both wonderful illustrations, as is the part when the darkness overtakes him. As he becomes one of the sleepwalkers, he realizes what its like to be free, allowing his heart to become a thirsty black handkerchief.
At the end of the poem Hirsch elegantly writes that we all need to be the sleepwalkers soaking in darkness and by morning we will all be satisfied.
Commentary by Brian Swanson (Age 15) on "For the Sleepwalkers"
In Hirsch’s wonderful poem, “For the Sleepwalkers,” the poet seems to use the symbolism of sleep as death in this poem, which has a God-based theme. It is a precursor to Hirsh’s other books, especially Earthly Measures, which Hirsch describes as “God hungry” and shows what the human soul will do when it searches for God but cannot find him.
Hirsch first commends sleepwalkers for their faith in their legs and in the “invisible arrow carved in the carpet,” by which he commends those who are willing to take a leap of faith (with the suggestion that involves death or comes close to it) in order to find God. He repeats this praise when he mentions the way sleepwalkers raise up their arms and welcome darkness. It is enhanced by the startling image of our hearts leaving our bodies and handkerchiefs soaking up “the darkest beams of moonlight.”
As for the leap of faith, Hirsch, interestingly, describes the doorway that sleepwalkers must go through as “gaping,” large and full of danger. The souls of the sleepwalkers find what they are searching for and are empowered by it. Hirsch then tells us that if we play it safe and don’t take risks in our search for meaning in life and understanding of death, we are nothing more than empty gloves, useless and pointless.
from "A Poem of Brilliance" by Samantha Mikita (Age 18): Her Take on "For the Sleepwalkers"
As you move through the poem, the language and imagery just feel so rich and powerful, but at the same time it flows exceptionally. The right words are always used. Take this line for instance, “the worn path that leads to the stairs instead of the window, the gaping doorway instead of the seamless mirror.” It’s intriguing how Hirsch is using various means of escape in this line, the doorway, path, and the window. But then he adds the “seamless mirror” which not only makes the whole line feel seamless, but he’s relating things that aren’t usually related in real life.
Writing things in a new way is very evident in this poem. For example, “I love the way that sleepwalkers are willing to step out of their bodies into the night, to raise their arms and welcome the darkness.” This line, when he is referring to sleepwalkers, but relating them to zombies, makes for a great simile.
Another very good simile is made in the next few lines. Edward Hirsch writes, “…palming the blank spaces, touching everything. Always they return home safely, like blind men who know it is morning by feeling shadows.”
After that simile, Hirsch takes yet another chance. He exclaims that he "want[s] to say something astonishing like: Our hearts are leaving our bodies.” When it is most often wise in poetry to stick to "show, don't tell" when working on a poem, Hirsch takes a wild chance and succeeds. This line is also interesting because it directs the poem. It’s almost like we become part of the poem, and it begins to get more personal.
Not only are the sleepwalkers thirsty, but we are too. We are also looking for something to soak up, and according to Edward Hirsch, we want to soak up the beauty of nature.
Observations from Patty Schlutt (Age 14) on Edward Hirsch's "For the Sleepwalkers"
"For The Sleepwalkers" is not only a very well crafted poem, but it is one of the most unique ones I have ever read. It starts out with the bold statement, "Tonight I want to say something wonderful for the sleepwalkers," which is a thing that only a poet who knows exactly what he is doing would think to attempt, and Hirsch is one of such poets. In this statement, he conquers the exact opposite of what many poetry teachers would tell you is one of the most important concepts of poetry: show, don't tell. By choosing to ignore it and succeeding, Hirsch shows us all how taking chances can bring us to all kinds of new places, like in the house with a sleepwalker as they seem to search for their scattered dreams in the darkness. Another thing that really makes the poem work is the italics in the sixth and seventh stanzas, which do a good job of balancing the poem between the sleepwalkers and the world they live in, along with where our heart goes while we dream. Another thing that Hirsch accomplishes extremely well is his use of thick, image-laden adjectives, such as the "seamless" of seamless mirror and the "stupefying" of stupefying cup of darkness. Each line of this poem is full of a magic that you ingest when you read it, more than almost any other poem that I've ever read, a magic that tangles in your breath and makes you feel the quiet but potent faith of sleepwalkers returning to their bed again.
Comments by Sarah Baar (Age 14) on "For the Sleepwalkers"
Edward Hirsh's captivating poem "For the Sleepwalkers" has untamed words and phrases that string beautifully together. In it he takes precarious chances. The sentences and phrases just flow gracefully throughout the poem, and Mr. Hirsch says astonishing and wonderful things about sleepwalking. I really like the line, "Our hearts are leaving our bodies." It's a chancy line that jumps out and grabs your attention. I also really like the section" "Our hearts are thirsty blank handkerchiefs flying through the night, soaking up the darkest beams of moonlight, the music of owls, the motion of wind-torn branches. And now our hearts are thick black fists flying back to the glove of our chests." That last one is my favorite phrase in the poem. The lines run free off the page, and that's why I explained them as being so untamed. Nobody really thinks about sleepwalking very much, but the way Mr. Hirsch explained it, you are just jumping with anticipation to try it and fly into the winds of dreams.
Works by Brian Swanson
Works by Edward Hirsch
| The Widening Sky | Poem |
| Fast Break | Poem |
| Four A.M. | Poem |
Works by Leah Niemchick
Works by Patricia Schlutt
Works by Samantha Mikita
Works by Sarah Baar
| Clock | Poem |