Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Eyes" by William Matthews explores the unique qualities and symbolic significance of the human eyes, particularly through the lens of the artist and writer James Thurber's experience with blindness. The poem delves into themes of perception, the persistence of vision, and the contrast between light and darkness.

The poem begins with a factual statement about the eyes: "the only parts of the body the same size at birth as they’ll always be." This observation sets the stage for a meditation on the constancy and significance of the eyes, suggesting that they are a window into beauty and perception. The mention of Thurber, who famously suffered from vision loss, introduces a poignant personal element to the discussion. Thurber's remark, "That’s why all babies are beautiful," ties beauty to the innocence and purity captured in the eyes, which remain constant from birth.

As Thurber's vision deteriorates, the poem describes his experience not as "dark" but as being "floating in a pale / light always, a kind of candlelit / murk from a sourceless light." This description captures the nuanced and ethereal quality of his visual perception, characterized by a soft, diffuse light rather than complete darkness. The phrase "candlelit murk" suggests a dim, atmospheric glow, evoking a sense of mystery and introspection.

The line "He needed dark to see" suggests an irony in Thurber's condition, where darkness or reduced visual input became essential for him to navigate his deteriorating sight. His adaptation involved drawing on black paper with white pastel chalk, creating a reverse contrast that might have helped him see better. However, as his condition worsened, even this became insufficient.

The poem moves into a more abstract exploration of light and perception: "Light bored / into his eyes but where did it go? / Into a sea of phosphenes, / along the wet fuse of some dead / nerve, it hid everywhere and couldn’t / be found." The imagery of light "boring" into the eyes and disappearing into "a sea of phosphenes" (visual phenomena that are seen even when the eyes are closed or in darkness) reflects the mysterious and elusive nature of vision, especially as it fades. The "wet fuse of some dead / nerve" suggests the physical decline of the optic nerve, emphasizing the biological basis of Thurber's blindness.

The speaker reflects on the experience of losing vision with a personal touch: "I’ve used up / three guesses, all of them / right." This cryptic statement might refer to attempts to understand or explain the nature of Thurber's vision loss, each guess capturing a different aspect of the experience. The poem concludes with a metaphor likening the exploration of blindness to "scuba diving," describing the descent "into the black cone-tip that dives / farther than I can, though I dive / closer all the time." This metaphor captures the gradual and deepening understanding of the darkness and the limits of perception, paralleling the exploration of an underwater world that becomes darker and more mysterious the deeper one goes.

Overall, "Eyes" by William Matthews is a thoughtful meditation on the nature of sight and perception, framed through the poignant narrative of James Thurber's loss of vision. The poem explores the complexities of how we see and interpret the world, the inevitability of change, and the persistent quest to understand the unknown. Through evocative imagery and metaphor, Matthews captures the profound and often enigmatic experience of vision and its loss, inviting readers to reflect on their own perceptions and the role of light and darkness in shaping their understanding of reality.

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