Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Ann Lauterbach’s "September Song" is a richly textured and evocative poem that navigates themes of modernity, memory, and the complexities of love and human connection. Through its fragmented structure and dynamic imagery, the poem captures the tension between fleeting moments of beauty and the pervasive disorientation of a rapidly shifting world. By juxtaposing personal intimacy with societal and environmental chaos, Lauterbach offers a meditation on the precariousness of contemporary life.

The poem opens with the striking line "But we cantilevered / across the ruins," immediately situating the reader in a space of instability and decay. The verb "cantilevered" evokes both precarious balance and architectural ingenuity, suggesting an effort to bridge or sustain something amidst destruction. The "ruins" could be literal or metaphorical, pointing to the collapse of physical structures or the erosion of personal or cultural foundations. This opening sets the stage for a poem that oscillates between the personal and the collective, the intimate and the expansive.

The repeated "but we" creates a refrain-like effect, anchoring the poem’s exploration of resilience and defiance. This refrain accompanies images of love and identity—"love in Lagos Hollywood," "photographed radiant / in suits," "clasping the bright entitlement of things." These snapshots of glamour and romance are tinged with irony, reflecting the dissonance between outward appearances and deeper, more ambiguous realities. The "bright entitlement of things" suggests both the allure and the superficiality of material wealth and success, hinting at the fragility of such constructs in the face of larger existential forces.

The poem’s focus on "the illusion of quilts" and "the tricks of film" highlights the constructed nature of perception and memory. Quilts, with their patchwork design, symbolize the piecing together of disparate fragments into a cohesive whole, while film represents the manipulation of space and time to create a semblance of reality. The intimacy achieved by "something manipulated" speaks to the artifice inherent in human connections, suggesting that even closeness is mediated by external forces. The phrase "almost, but not quite, real" underscores the tension between authenticity and fabrication, a recurring theme in Lauterbach’s work.

The middle section shifts to a quieter, more contemplative tone: "To work quietly, seriously, productively / yellow hinges / isolated from drift." Here, the poem reflects on the possibility of finding solace or purpose in small, deliberate actions. The image of "companions in patience, lost / in the stars" evokes a sense of wonder and camaraderie, even as it acknowledges the vastness and indifference of the universe. However, this moment of introspection is quickly undercut by the "virulence of the age," which intrudes upon the "small thicket of romance." This contrast between personal sanctuary and societal turbulence captures the poem’s central tension.

The latter half of the poem becomes increasingly surreal and fragmented, reflecting the disjointed nature of modern existence. The image of "the people, bagged in rain, / fell up and up / into the basket-weave sky" combines the mundane (rain) with the fantastical (falling upward), creating a disorienting but compelling vision. The "mechanism of the day" that "thwarted our progress" suggests a world governed by forces beyond individual control, leaving the speaker and their companions "bereft of purpose." This existential drift is mirrored in the natural imagery of "fist of red leaves" and "a mild gray wind," which evoke the passage of time and the inevitability of change.

The young girl who "traveled swiftly over long grass into the inquisitive mode" introduces a note of vitality and curiosity. Her questions—"Have you got a television? Where are your children?"—highlight the mundane markers of modern life, juxtaposed against her own swift, instinctive movement. Her "hands crowded with coins borrowed for keeps" suggests a precocious understanding of value and possession, as well as the complexities of desire and exchange. Yet, even her energy is framed within a larger context of encroaching "old enemies," hinting at the persistence of conflict and struggle.

The poem concludes with a cinematic and melancholic image: "we sat on a roof / across from the crenellated tower / and watched a toy ball / fall into a drain." This moment of stillness and observation contrasts with the earlier dynamism of the young girl, emphasizing the inevitability of loss and the passage of time. The day "swerved up a brick wall into night’s dump," capturing the relentless movement of time and the accumulation of both beauty and detritus in its wake.

"September Song" is a powerful meditation on the fragility of human connection and the persistence of beauty amidst disarray. Through its layered imagery and shifting tones, Lauterbach captures the precarious balance of modern existence, where moments of intimacy and wonder are constantly undercut by forces of decay and disorientation. The poem’s fragmented structure mirrors the disjointed nature of contemporary life, inviting readers to piece together its meaning as they navigate its evocative and often surreal landscape. Ultimately, "September Song" offers a poignant reflection on the resilience of love and imagination in a world marked by impermanence.

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