This poem is more than a day at the park although the park serves a certain symbolic element within the poem
"which was the meadow of the world"
was repeated more than once throughout the poem. The meadow for me represents the journey of life. For me the grapes serves as a special significance because I am Muslim and grapes are very special in the Quran it is mentioned eight times it is a fruit that is good for the purification of the heart and blood. The fact that the woman is feeding such a fruit to the squirrels I feel like this represents her paying homage to the world, giving back purification in the cycle of life.
They come to a place in the meadow
"at a very still spot where the trees dreamed/
and seemed to have been waiting thru all time/
for them"I feel like this is very significant but I will get back to that in a moment. The couple eats oranges and takes the peels and puts them into a basket brought especially for the purpose of the disposal in the peels as if they want to dispose of them properly. Like we would take special care in the burial of a loved one. The fact that the trees "dreamt" is special because eating oranges in dreams represent negative vibes, dissatisfaction, illness in the family or seperation/loss or a love. The couple does not look at each other the entire time which could indicate that they are so used to doing this together that they have run out of things to say and they just enjoy the company of one another. THe flute is an old beaten up one which I believe is a representation of the man's old age. Even though the flute is never played the flute in many cultures represents different things the most common is celestial music, the spirit, and calling forth the spirit, announcement of passing, unity of life, nature, masculine virility and sometimes anguish. I believe that all of those things are present within this poem. Because once the man lays down and after awhile the woman turns to him
"without any particular expression/
except a certain awful look/
of terrible depression"
I believe this is her realization of his passing. I believe this whole poem was set up to death every element in some way is indicating death.
Kudos Ferlinghetti!!!
