What is an analysis of Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang?

Structure is one aspect that must be examined in Kate Wilhelm’s 1998 apocalyptic novel Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang. It is written in three parts, each of which is titled after another well-known literary work. The first section shares its title with the novel, but more significantly, it also has a clear connection to Shakespeare’s Sonnet 73, whose first quatrain ends with the line “Bare ruin'd choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.” The gist of Sonnet 73 is the passage of time, the loss of youth, and the anguish of knowing one is moving inexorably toward death. The first section of the novel parallels this theme as the Sumners see Armageddon approaching and have to face their own mortality and the potential end of everything, including themselves. As we know, they cope with this by cloning themselves.

The second section of the novel, “Shenandoah,” is probably named after Carl Sandburg’s poem of the same name. The parallel here is the ultimately meaningless conflict, the forgotten soldiers of both sides, and the absence of any memory of it all. We can see this in the poem as Sandburg writes, “The blue nobody remembers, the gray nobody remembers, it’s all old” (line 6). In section two of the novel, only the clones survive, but they have no memories that keep them aware of or connected to the past. They are simply “repeating heads” (line 10). Another significant development in this section of the novel is Molly’s discovery of her artistry, her individuality, but it is ultimately this individuality that costs her relationship with her sisters, with whom she can no longer communicate. Her isolation leads to the conception of her child Mark, who in essence “is young, a butter of dandelions slung on the turf, climbing blue flowers of the wishing woodlands wondering: a midnight purple violet claims the sun among old heads” (lines 8-9). Mark is the future, the one who will eventually eclipse the old (clones).

The third section of the novel is most likely named after T.S. Eliot’s poem “Burnt Norton,” which explores the themes of timelessness and the connections among the past, present, and future:

Time present and time past
Are both perhaps present in time future,
And time future contained in time past. (lines 1-3)

This is significant when we consider that Mark represents the present time as well as time past because although conceived of two clones, he is really much more human. This is hard for Mark because as a collective society, the clones have no understanding of his individuality. They barely register emotions much less any ability to express love. It is this time that is most closely parallels the lines

At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless;
Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is,
But neither arrest nor movement. (lines 64-66)

Mark wants to be accepted, but he knows he won’t be. He wants to leave but feels he can’t; the clones are all he has. So he is momentarily frozen “at the still point.” Eventually, though, Mark takes to the woods. He finds some books at the old house and begins to teach himself skills the old humans had: science, woodworking, art. As Mark becomes more proficient and more independent, he abandons the collective society of the clones, leaving them to die off as he, embodying time past, figures a way to preserve humanity and moves into the future.