Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

David Lehman’s "Ode" presents an ironic meditation on the Middle Ages, playing with the way modern perspectives often misrepresent the past. The poem dismantles stereotypical notions about medieval life, emphasizing its vitality rather than its perceived darkness. Lehman’s approach blends historical observation with personal reflection, using a conversational tone and unexpected juxtapositions to challenge assumptions about time, perception, and nostalgia.

The poem opens with a direct challenge to the way historical periods are conceptualized: "People in the middle ages didn't think they were living / Between two more important and enlightened eras." This immediately addresses the tendency to view the medieval period as an unfortunate gap between classical antiquity and the Renaissance, a framing imposed by later historians rather than by those who lived through it. The next lines reinforce this point: "Nor did they see themselves as the players / In act three of a tragedy in five acts." This theatrical metaphor underscores the way people assume historical narratives follow structured arcs, when in reality, life is always experienced in the present.

The assertion "It was not always late winter in the middle ages." counters the common association of medieval times with a kind of metaphorical and literal darkness. The next line, "People in the middle ages were not all middle-aged", injects humor by playing with the linguistic overlap between the historical era and the phase of life. The poet acknowledges the absurdity of assuming that a historical epoch is characterized by a uniform mood or experience, even though, as he admits, "it is enjoyable on occasion to assume that they were." This suggests that even as he critiques historical misconceptions, he recognizes the pleasure they provide.

The next stanza expands on these ideas through imagery: "Think of the middle ages and what do you see: / Gloomy cathedrals, students dressed like monks in the rain, / Or a band of drunken pilgrims telling obscene jokes, / Or heroes embarking for the nearest wilderness come April?" Here, Lehman highlights the varied and often contradictory ways the medieval period is imagined, ranging from the solemn to the comic to the heroic. He then adds, "Your answer will reveal yourself to yourself / But you may not know it." This suggests that our interpretations of history say more about our own biases than about the past itself, a key theme of the poem.

Lehman further plays with the idea of paradise, remarking that "paradise, as we all know, may be paradise when we're dead, / But is boredom on earth, alas." This line invokes the medieval association of paradise with religious salvation, while also making a modern, existentialist observation—perfection, when achieved, can be dull. By connecting the medieval concept of heaven with the mundane experience of boredom, Lehman subtly critiques both historical idealizations and the modern struggle for meaning.

The poem then takes a more philosophical turn: "We never think of ennui in relation to the middle ages. / Should we? Did Thomas Aquinas never get bored / Cooking up elaborate refutations of diminutive heresies?" Here, Lehman humorously suggests that even the greatest medieval thinkers, like Aquinas, might have experienced boredom while engaging in theological debates. The phrase "diminutive heresies" minimizes the grand conflicts of medieval theology, reinforcing the poem’s theme that what seems important in hindsight may have been tedious in its own time.

The poem shifts toward personal reflection in its final stanza: "On chill September mornings when / I smoked too much the night before / And I drank too much the night before / And a sinister cough rises up / From the depths of the belly of my being, / I like to imagine living in Provence / Or even in Rheims during the middle ages." This passage contrasts the historical musings of the earlier stanzas with the poet's present experience of physical discomfort. The mention of Provence and Rheims evokes a romanticized medieval past, one associated with troubadours, cathedrals, and scholarly pursuits. Yet the choice to frame this fantasy in the context of a hangover suggests that such historical escapism is, at least in part, a way of avoiding contemporary reality.

Structurally, "Ode" follows a free-verse format, with its conversational tone and enjambment reinforcing the fluid, digressive nature of thought. The lack of a strict rhyme scheme or metrical pattern mirrors the poem’s argument that history is not a neatly ordered narrative but a dynamic, subjective experience. The title, "Ode", traditionally associated with grand, formal praise, is used ironically—rather than glorifying the Middle Ages, the poem treats them with a mixture of humor, skepticism, and curiosity.

Ultimately, "Ode" is a reflection on how history is framed and reimagined, how nostalgia functions as both an intellectual exercise and a personal escape, and how every era—including the present—contains its own illusions about the past. Lehman’s voice is playful yet incisive, questioning both historical grand narratives and the ways individuals impose meaning on time.

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