Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"The Artists' and Models' Ball" by Gwendolyn Brooks offers a contemplative reflection on the nature of wonder and the commonplace, probing the human inclination to categorize and move on from the extraordinary while underestimating the transformative power of the mundane. This poem captures a nuanced observation about perception, naming, and the dynamic undercurrents of everyday life that often go unnoticed.

Brooks begins with the assertion that "Wonders do not confuse," suggesting that the human response to the extraordinary is to label it as such and thereby diminish its capacity to perplex or challenge our understanding of the world. This act of naming and classifying wonders as "wonders" serves to compartmentalize them, allowing individuals to resume their daily lives undisturbed by the mysteries these wonders might pose.

However, the poem then shifts its focus to "common things," the everyday elements of life that, despite being labeled and seemingly understood, possess the true capacity to surprise and evolve beyond our expectations. Brooks proposes that these common things, once named, are accepted with a sense of finality that belies their inherent fluidity and changeability. The calm acceptance of their given names masks the reality that, even as we turn our attention away, these mundane aspects of existence are in a constant state of alteration and growth.

The phrase "Easy-breathing then / We brave our next small business" captures the human tendency to find comfort in the illusion of understanding and control over our environment. This sense of security enables us to engage with our daily tasks and challenges, reassured by the belief that we have successfully navigated and categorized the world around us.

Yet, Brooks subtly undermines this confidence with the observation, "Well, behind / Our backs they alter." This line reveals the poem's core insight: that the true wonder lies not in the extraordinary, but in the ordinary's capacity to change and defy the labels we impose upon it. The rhetorical question "How were we to know" underscores the limitations of human perception and the hubris of believing we can ever fully know or contain the complexity of the world through mere naming.

In "The Artists' and Models' Ball," Brooks invites readers to reconsider their approach to the world around them, suggesting that a deeper engagement with the seemingly mundane may reveal the true locus of wonder and transformation. The poem challenges the binary between the extraordinary and the ordinary, urging a recognition of the fluid and dynamic nature of all things, regardless of how confidently we may seek to define them. Through this reflective piece, Brooks demonstrates her enduring ability to illuminate the overlooked depths of human experience and the world we inhabit.

POEM TEXT: https://www.themorgan.org/exhibitions/online/gwendolyn-brooks/artists-and-models-ball-frank-shepherd

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