The Pond

In "Still Life," the speaker observes a group of addicts sleeping by a pond. Images of flora such as rocky grass and amphibious flowers vividly evoke the scene, and the speaker blurs the distinction between humans and nature by comparing the addicts to the flowers. The fact that the addicts sleep beside a pond demonstrates their unsheltered and vulnerable state.

A pond is a small, still body of water that supports a great deal of biodiversity. In Ford's poem, this setting evokes themes of contemplation, humans and the natural world, and interconnectedness.

Night

The poem takes place at night as the speaker observes a group of addicts sleeping by a pond. The moonlight shifts the speaker's vision, allowing her to compare the addicts to a rare amphibious flower species called striders. In this way, night functions as a revelatory force, showing the hidden aspects of life and...