Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"One for Sherwood Anderson" by Charles Bukowski serves as both a homage and a reflective critique of the American writer Sherwood Anderson, known for his significant influence on American literature in the early 20th century. Through Bukowski's lens, Anderson is portrayed with a blend of affection and critical observation, highlighting his unique literary style, his thematic innocence, and his place within the broader context of American literary history. Bukowski's poem navigates through Anderson's literary contributions, his personal quirks, and his relationship with other literary giants of his time, offering a nuanced perspective on Anderson's legacy.

Bukowski begins by acknowledging a kind of forgetfulness about Anderson, suggesting that despite Anderson's influence, he remains a figure that can fade into the background amidst the pantheon of American writers. The reference to Anderson's "peculiar innocence, almost idiotic, awkward and mawkish," immediately sets a tone of endearing critique. This description captures the essence of Anderson's approach to literature—a raw, unpolished honesty that borders on naivety, yet profoundly captures the human condition.

The poem then shifts to intimate details of Anderson's life, such as his fondness for walking over bridges and through cornfields, evoking the Midwestern landscapes that often serve as backdrops in Anderson's work. These details not only ground Anderson in his regional roots but also symbolize his connection to the simplicity and authenticity of rural American life.

Bukowski's comparison of Anderson's literary technique to the feeling of space and air between lines, akin to the work of van Gogh, elevates Anderson's style to that of artistry. This analogy suggests that Anderson, like van Gogh, was able to capture the essence of his subjects with stark, vivid clarity, leaving an indelible impression upon the canvas of American literature. The mention of Anderson "sometimes running to save something" and at other times "giving it all away" reflects the urgency and generosity in his writing, a willingness to explore the depths of human experience without reservation.

The poem also addresses Anderson's relationship with contemporaries such as Hemingway and Faulkner. Anderson's inability to understand "Hemingway's neon tattoo" and finding Faulkner "much too clever" positions him as a writer with distinct preferences and sensibilities, one who perhaps valued simplicity and sincerity over stylistic complexity or intellectual ostentation. This distinction underscores Anderson's place as a "midwestern hick," a term Bukowski uses not derogatorily but to highlight Anderson's authenticity and detachment from the literary elite.

The closing lines, emphasizing Anderson's distance from both Fitzgerald and Paris, serve to further delineate Anderson's unique position in American literature. Unlike Fitzgerald, whose work often glittered with the allure of the Jazz Age and whose life was marked by his time in Paris, Anderson remained rooted in the American heartland, both geographically and thematically. This separation is not portrayed as a limitation but as a testament to Anderson's dedication to exploring the American experience from a perspective distinctly his own.

In "One for Sherwood Anderson," Charles Bukowski crafts a nuanced tribute to a writer who, despite his quirks and idiosyncrasies, offered a profound and enduring contribution to American literature. Bukowski's reflection on Anderson is both critical and celebratory, acknowledging the complexity of Anderson's legacy while affirming his importance as a writer deeply connected to the human spirit. Through this poem, Bukowski not only pays homage to Anderson but also invites readers to reconsider the value of simplicity, sincerity, and the unvarnished truth in literature.

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