Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

David Lehman’s "In Praise of A. R. Ammons" is a poetic meditation that honors the spirit of A. R. Ammons, a poet known for his philosophical reflections on nature, time, and human limitations. The poem embraces Ammons' expansive, fluid style, blending observation with introspection, and engages in a lyrical exploration of uncertainty, impermanence, and the tension between knowledge and ignorance.

The poem begins with a declaration of vastness: "Because ignorance is limitless," establishing one of its central concerns—the inability to fully comprehend the world. This echoes Ammons’ frequent preoccupation with the unknowable and the ever-changing nature of existence. The phrase "after the storm a different bird will be doing the singing, unaware of aging" suggests that time moves forward regardless of human perception, and that nature—symbolized by the bird—exists independently of our anxieties about mortality. The choice of "scarlet tanager," a bird the speaker admits to having never seen, highlights the theme of imagination filling the gaps of knowledge. This recalls Ammons’ fascination with the act of naming in poetry, how language both defines and fails to capture reality.

The contrast between brightness and darkness emerges in the lines, "the brightest stars surround themselves with darkness," reinforcing the idea that light is only perceptible because of its opposite. This duality—illumination and obscurity, certainty and doubt—runs throughout the poem, much like in Ammons’ own work. The wind, too, resists identification: "the wind resists such identity as readily comes to mind," suggesting that nature is not easily pinned down by human constructs. The refusal of elements like wind or birds to conform to static definitions reflects Ammons' emphasis on process and flux rather than fixed meaning.

The poem then shifts to human restlessness: "and no matter how hard we work at it, we can't sit still waiting without knowing what's coming, or whether anything will." This suggests an existential impatience, a yearning to know what lies ahead despite the impossibility of such foresight. This restlessness is contrasted with the bureaucratic reality of death: "because the funerary details stand between us and our grief." This line acknowledges how rituals and obligations surrounding death can mediate or even obstruct genuine mourning, an idea that aligns with Ammons' contemplative approach to mortality.

The speaker notes that "a stray nerve is sure to prevent full disclosure, yet / the evasions themselves must be heeded." This could mean that complete understanding—whether of grief, nature, or existence—is unattainable, yet even our hesitations and uncertainties contain meaning. The poem suggests that "steady exposure to the dark may lead us past lament into discovery in the end," an assertion that recalls Ammons’ belief in perseverance and attention as pathways to deeper understanding.

The final section of the poem shifts into an almost dreamlike movement: "so I parked my car beside the giant sycamore & went off by foot to explore." The giant sycamore, a tree often associated with longevity and wisdom, becomes a threshold between the ordinary and the unknown. The speaker embarks on a solitary walk, mirroring Ammons' tendency to find insight through physical movement in nature. The disorientation intensifies: "I couldn't sleep but how could I sleep while walking & I couldn't stop walking." This paradoxical state—sleepless but drawn forward—suggests both a physical and philosophical journey, where the act of movement itself is a kind of meditation.

The poem concludes with an evocative moment at "the border," a threshold that remains unrecognized: "not knowing it was the border, for how / could I recognize it, not knowing what signs to look for." This reflects Ammons’ frequent theme of boundaries—between land and water, self and nature, the known and the unknown—while also embodying the idea that certain moments of transformation are only understood in retrospect. The speaker acknowledges the possibility of falling "into unwilling sleep & felt my heart grow calm despite me," an ambiguous yet peaceful resolution that suggests surrendering to the unknown rather than resisting it.

Structurally, the poem lacks punctuation in many places, allowing thoughts to flow seamlessly into one another. This mirrors Ammons’ own poetic style, where ideas often spill over line breaks, resisting containment. The use of ampersands contributes to this fluidity, reinforcing the continuous, interconnected nature of thought and movement.

Ultimately, "In Praise of A. R. Ammons" is a tribute that captures both the thematic and stylistic essence of its subject. Lehman honors Ammons not by merely describing him, but by writing in a way that embodies his approach—wandering, questioning, and finding meaning in uncertainty. The poem does not seek definitive answers but rather celebrates the beauty of exploration itself, an ethos that Ammons would have undoubtedly appreciated.

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