Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Donald Justice's poem "Here in Katmandu" poignantly captures the complex interplay between achievement and longing, as well as the dichotomy between the peak experiences of life and the return to ordinary existence. Through evocative imagery and a contemplative tone, Justice explores themes of fulfillment, memory, and the human tendency to constantly yearn for what is absent.

The poem opens with a stark acknowledgment of accomplishment: "We have climbed the mountain, / There's nothing more to do." This initial statement conveys a sense of finality and existential reflection following the attainment of a significant goal. The shift from the high, exalted state of the mountain to the valley below represents a transition from extraordinary experiences back to everyday life.

Justice juxtaposes the imagery of snow on the mountain with the flowers in the valley: "It is terrible to come down / To the valley / Where, amidst many flowers, / One thinks of snow." This contrast highlights the human inclination to always desire what is not present. The speaker's thoughts of snow amidst the flowers mirror their previous thoughts of flowers amidst the snow, suggesting a perpetual state of longing and dissatisfaction.

The poem delves deeper into the difficulty of adjusting to ordinary life after experiencing something profound: "It is difficult to adjust, once down, / To the absence of snow." This line underscores the challenge of reconciling the memory of the peak experience with the reality of the mundane. The clear days in the valley, where one looks up at the mountain, symbolize the constant reminder of what has been achieved and left behind.

Justice introduces the elements of prayer wheels and flowers as symbols of both spiritual and natural beauty: "Prayerwheels, flowers! / Let the flowers / Fade, the prayerwheels run down." These symbols, though beautiful and significant, seem transient and insufficient for those who have experienced the permanence and grandeur of the mountain's snow.

The poem continues to explore the tension between the peak and the valley: "What have these to do / With us who have stood atop the snow / Atop the mountain, / Flags seen from the valley?" The speaker reflects on the insignificance of valley experiences compared to the monumental achievement of reaching the mountain's summit, where flags symbolizing triumph and conquest are visible from below.

Justice contemplates the possibility of living in the valley, surrounded by flowers, if only one could forget the mountain: "It might be possible to live in the valley, / To bury oneself among flowers, / If one could forget the mountain." This hypothetical scenario underscores the impossibility of erasing the memory of the peak experience, which continues to influence and overshadow life in the valley.

The poem concludes with a reflection on the inevitability of change and the cyclical nature of desires: "Meanwhile it is not easy here in Katmandu, / Especially when to the valley / That wind which means snow / Elsewhere but here means flowers / Comes down, / As soon it must, from the mountain." The wind, carrying the essence of both snow and flowers, symbolizes the perpetual movement between longing and fulfillment, between the extraordinary and the ordinary.

"Here in Katmandu" by Donald Justice eloquently captures the profound and often painful transition from achieving a significant goal to returning to everyday life. Through vivid imagery and introspective reflections, Justice explores the themes of fulfillment, memory, and the human condition, inviting readers to contemplate the tension between peak experiences and the challenges of living in the valleys of existence. The poem beautifully articulates the complexity of human desires and the inevitable yearning for what is not present.

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