In the sudden afternoon, an office,
A man stands, turns,
Before he hits the pavement.
He leaves to the room in the air
An abrupt farewell.
Outside, cars pass, some people turn
To look up, as if there is
Something strange to be found there
Above their heads, beyond their windows.
But when they see nothing of the sort they want,
They turn back, and leave the man alone
For a man can fall to his death
Like a simple rock, just
Like that.
No one remembers now his face, his home,
His love, his money. Only the building still
Shakes, remembering the crash
Of a body hitting concrete, his last
Farewell.
Explanation:
The poem "A Man Falls to His Death" by Cirilo Bautista is about a man who commits suicide by jumping from a tall building. The poem focuses on the man's final moments and the reactions of those who witness his death.
The poem begins with the man standing in an office, turning before he jumps. This sudden action is emphasized by the use of the word "abrupt" to describe his farewell to the room.
The next stanza describes the reactions of people outside the building who witness the man's fall. Some people turn to look up, but when they see nothing unusual, they quickly turn away and forget about the incident. This indifference is highlighted by the line "they leave the man alone."
The final stanza emphasizes the anonymity of the man who committed suicide. No one remembers his face, his home, his love, or his money. The only thing that remains is the building, which shakes from the impact of his fall.
The poem ends with the line "his last farewell," which suggests that the man's death was a deliberate act of suicide. The poem's title, "A Man Falls to His Death," also reinforces this idea of intentionality.
Overall, the poem "A Man Falls to His Death" is a powerful and moving meditation on the themes of death, suicide, and the indifference of society.