Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Denise Levertov's "A Happening" is a surreal and evocative poem that captures a fantastical journey, transforming its protagonists through various states of being and landscapes. The poem explores themes of transformation, perseverance, and the unpredictable nature of urban life, blending elements of the natural world with the surreal.

The poem begins with a striking image: "Two birds, flying East, hit the night at 3 in the afternoon." This line immediately sets a surreal tone, suggesting a disjunction in time and space as the birds encounter night during the day. The appearance of stars over the badlands and snowlands enhances the dreamlike atmosphere, blending different environments and times of day into a single moment.

The birds, determined not to turn back, "floundered on resolving not to turn back in search of lost afternoon." This determination to continue despite the confusion of time and place highlights a sense of perseverance and commitment to their journey. The phrase "cotton wildernesses" and "stretched night" further evoke a landscape that is both familiar and otherworldly, emphasizing the strangeness of their voyage.

As they reach the City in a rainstorm at dawn, the birds undergo a dramatic transformation: "they fell in semblance of torn paper sacks to the sidewalk on 42nd St., and resumed their human shape." This metamorphosis from birds to humans is sudden and startling, suggesting a magical or mythical quality to their journey. The imagery of falling "in semblance of torn paper sacks" conveys a sense of fragility and disintegration, contrasting with their previous determination.

Once transformed, the two protagonists take different paths: "one turned uptown, to follow / the Broadway river to its possible source, the other downtown, to see / the fair and goodly harbor." These divergent journeys symbolize different quests or desires, with one seeking the origins of a vibrant, cultural artery and the other exploring the promise of the harbor.

However, their individual pursuits are interrupted: "each, accosted by shadows that muttered to him pleading mysteriously, half-hostile, was drawn into crosstown streets, into revolving doorways, into nameless small spaces back of buildings, airless airshafts." This imagery of shadows and nameless spaces suggests a darker, more oppressive side of the urban environment, where the protagonists are diverted from their paths by ambiguous, possibly malevolent forces.

The poem concludes with an unsettling ambiguity: "till no more was known of man, bird, nor paper." This final line suggests a complete dissolution of identity and form, as the protagonists are absorbed into the city's labyrinthine spaces. The use of "man, bird, nor paper" ties back to their various transformations, indicating that they have been lost to the city's complexity and obscurity.

In "A Happening," Denise Levertov masterfully blends the natural and the surreal to create a narrative that is both mystical and grounded in urban reality. The poem's rich imagery and enigmatic conclusion invite readers to reflect on the nature of transformation, the persistence of journey, and the unpredictable forces that shape our paths. Through its imaginative and layered storytelling, the poem captures the fleeting and often mysterious nature of existence.

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