The poem Summer Solstice, New York City, written by Sharon Olds, is a tension building story about a man who occupies the roof of a New York City building with the stated intention of committing suicide, and the chaos that is created as a result. It is clear from the symbolism placed throughout that it is also a metaphor for man’s voyage from childhood to adulthood.
Our ascent from childhood or adolescence is a sort of rebirth, and this poem is loaded with images of that voyage. Our children often lead their existence with little knowledge of the tumult and hazards that lay before them. In many ways they do not know how the rest of us – their parents, teachers, and many others who take a vested interest in their well-being – work behind the scenes to ensure a smooth transition for them. This is familiar to those who read about “the huge machinery of the earth”, which, “began to work for his life”, making reference to the police working to get the man to give up his plan. (Olds 6)
Early in the poem, in line five, when the man is approached by police who are attempting to save him, he tells them that if they come any closer, “that was it.” (Olds 5) This behavior is extremely childish in its selfishness. Deep down this individual knows that their threat would physically hurt nobody but himself. The love, caring, and emotional investment of those who are trying to save him is what he is counting on. This is comparable of a threat that a teenager would make. It is a dramatic overstatement meant only to punish the rescue workers, or, in the case of a teenager, the parents or caregivers, for their concern, while actually harming nobody but himself.
Early on in the poem, the man’s position on the roof is described. He is on the edge of the roof, with “one leg over the complex green tin cornice”. (Olds 4) This is symbolic of a teenager with one foot on the firm safe ground of childhood and one foot dangling over the precipice of complicated and treacherous adulthood. It is a delicate balance that our children maintain. On one side there is the protection and shelter of their parents and on the next is the great unknown, where they must protect and provide for themselves. The use of the word “complex” is most likely not a coincidence. Olds wants us to know that what waits on the other side will have ramifications.
Throughout the poem there is a steady sense of tension. The tension is relieved when the man finally give the reader the conclusion they seek, and gives the police the result they are working for. Eventually the man relents, comes down from the ledge, and surrenders himself to the police. (Olds 28-29) The narrator suspects that the police might be upset with the man, comparing them to parents who might initially be upset when a missing child is found. (Olds 31-32) This is a comparison that most parents are familiar with. The relief of the saga have come to a conclusion is mixed with the anger that was not permitted to surface throughout. This is a direct indication of the parent/child comparison, and is spelled out clearly here.
Upon his surrender, the police bond with the man with whom they have gone through so much by sharing a cigarette with him. (Olds 35-37) While there is no clear indication of how long the situation took to unfold, the nature and drama attached to it render it timeless. Whether it took 10 minutes or 10 hours, all involved were put through an emotional stress test. This bonding would symbolize that the man has been reborn in the eyes of his parents, or in this case the police, and has moved from being a dependent to an equal. Similarly, at some point parents are forced to look at their children as adults and the relationship changes. Parents stop trying to protect their children and must begin looking at them as adults with similar concerns and worries.
In the poem many people work separately but in unison to help the man, as many would do with a teenager. A cop comes out of a hole in the roof, carrying a rope and draws near, preparing to step in if necessary. (Olds 15) This might also happen with a teacher trying to encourage a student to make the correct decision on their own, all the while being ready to assist. The tall cop approaches the man speaking softly and calmly, a means that a guidance counselor might take when reasoning with an irrational teen. (Olds 16-17) A net is unfurled, representing a child’s parents ready to catch their unstable adolescent if he or she should happen to fall. (Olds 20-22)
The net in Summer Solstice, New York City is symbolic of parental support and guidance. While the purpose of the net is to be there to catch the man if he should fall, it is anything but foolproof. As parents, our safety net is opened wide for our children as they get older. When they are young and innocent we allow them to do very little on their own. As they get older our children must be taught responsibility. As part of their lesson they are encouraged to do more and more without their parents help. As children do more on their own, their parents open the safety net wider. The hope is that children will be successful in their decisions, giving them a head-start on adulthood and the challenges that lie before them. But parents are there with their nets if their children should fall, as their children are too young to completely accept the consequences that unmitigated failure would bring.
There is another metaphor with regard to the net that would indicate it has some parental similarities. The net is compared to a sheet that is spread out to receive the newborn during childbirth. (Olds 22) This again to compares the net to the child’s parents, receiving their baby into the world. It could also be interpreted as the doctor delivering a newborn baby into the world and comparatively receiving a new member into adulthood.
Much like the safety net in Summer Solstice, New York City, the safety nets we have for our children are not foolproof. Sometimes the fall is too severe or our nets are not big enough, and they miss. But our love and concern will keep us there, hoping they make the right decisions and preparing to pick up the pieces if they do not.

Works Cited
Olds, Sharon. "Summer Solstice, New York City." Schilb, John and John Clifford. Making Literature Matter. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009. 20-21. Print.