E. B. WhiteÆs The Ring of Time is an attempt to capture the essence of creation against the backdrop of ever-changing time. Though by his own admission the narrator circus patron and writer admits he has failed in this effort, ôI have failed, as I knew I wouldö, he admits that the writer like an acrobat ômust occasionally try a stunt that is too much for him,ö (White 1). The Ring of Time uses the metaphor of the show ring of a circus to represent time and the acts that occur by performers within it to represent creativity and human existence. In so doing, the work becomes a futile exercise in trying to capture the essence of creation against the unforgiving and mutable march of time.
The narrator of the poem is a writer who attends the circus practice on an afternoon when mainly acrobatic horse riders are on display. He admits to use that he is trying to record the events of the afternoon for us in a manner that excludes his own interpretation and perfectly captures the enchantment of the moment in a way that leaves no detail unrevealed. He feels a solemn commitment to be able to capture the moment in such a manner, otherwise he will be failing others who will read what he hopes is mere ôrecordingö and not interpretation, (White 1). His obligation to create something that will perfectly capture time and the moment weighs heavily upon the narrator, ôI have always felt charged with the safekeeping of all unexpected items of worldly or unworldly enchantment, as thought I might be held personally responsible if even a small one were to be lost,ö (White 1).
We see the narrator is preoccupied with the practice sessions before him, primarily because he understands that it is in these moments that the performer is most being real without any attempt to create or perform for others. He also understands it is in these moments that are most real that something becomes lost once the purpose of such moments are for the
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