“Riven” is defined as something that is split or torn apart, and that is exactly what Christian Wiman does to the first lines of each stanza in “Every Riven Thing.” He repeats the phrase “God goes belonging to every riven thing he’s made” at the beginning of each stanza, but uses different punctuation to change the meaning each time. In the first stanza, he discusses how evidence of God exists in everything that God has created, simply because those things are what they are.
“God goes, belonging to every riven thing he’s made
sing his being simply by being
the thing it is:
stone and tree and sky,
man who sees and sings and wonders why”
He then uses the same beginning sentence structure and alters the punctuation so that he’s able to write about what “belonging” means to everything in the universe. What’s even more fantastic is that the last line of each stanza blends into the first line of the next, making one complete sentence that spans the gap. For example, between the first stanza and the next, the complete phrase “man who sees and sings and wonders why God goes.” exists despite the gap:
“man who sees and sings and wonders why
God goes. Belonging, to every riven thing he’s made,
means a storm of peace.
Think of the atoms inside the stone.
Think of the man who sits alone
trying to will himself into a stillness where”
Despite the poem’s focus on the state of being riven, each part of the poem flows easily into the next. The first three stanzas begin with God (creation), move into nature (existence), and end with man (questioning). In the second to last stanza, however, Wiman breaks from this pattern and doesn’t discuss nature. Instead, he focuses on the relationship between man’s pondering mind and the existence of God.
“God goes belonging to every riven thing. He’s made
the things that bring him near,
made the mind that makes him go.
A part of what man knows,
apart from what man knows,”
Wiman seems to be saying that man’s questioning of God’s existence is what makes God exist, and should bring us closer instead of farther from the divine. The poem feels like an attempt to comfort someone who feels that their disbelief is separating them from God. The end rhyme pattern Wiman uses is erratic, but adds to the almost prayer-like feel of the poem. In this stanza, Wiman uses word play to make his point, toying with the contrast between “a part” and “apart.” Continuing the theme of separation, each thought in every line, with two exceptions, is incomplete, and continues into the next line or the next stanza. The first exception is the line, “Think of the atoms inside the stone,” which shows how the speaker admires the simplicity of nature, and continues the theme that being exactly what you are is the best way to be closer to God. The second exception is the last line, when Wiman completes the poem with the full, unriven sentence:
“God goes belonging to every riven thing he’s made.”
Emma: Once again you’ve done a lovely job here. Thanks for taking such care with your posts.