Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"The Hyacinth Garden in Brooklyn" by Hayden Carruth is a poignant and evocative poem that beautifully intertwines the sensory pleasures of a garden with profound themes of memory, loss, and mythological resonance. Through the unexpected discovery of a hyacinth garden in the urban landscape of Brooklyn, Carruth explores the connections between past and present, the natural world and human experience, and the ways in which beauty and tragedy are inextricably linked.

The poem begins with the speaker recounting a walk along the esplanade in Brooklyn, guided by friends to a place he admits he could never find on his own. This sense of disorientation and reliance on others to navigate the cityscape sets the stage for the transformative encounter with the hyacinth garden. The garden, described as "quite large" and filled with flowers "of every size and color," becomes a hidden oasis amidst the concrete and steel of the urban environment. The "famous perfume" of the hyacinths envelops the speaker, creating a sensory experience that is both overwhelming and enchanting.

Carruth's mention of Hyacinthus, the beautiful youth from Greek mythology who was beloved by the god Apollo and met a tragic end, introduces a layer of mythic symbolism to the poem. The image of Hyacinthus "lying there, dying, the dark body already rotting" among the flowers, "bleeding in Brooklyn, in Paradise," juxtaposes the timeless beauty of the myth with the temporal beauty of the garden. This fusion of the ancient and the modern, the mythical and the real, underscores the poem's meditation on the themes of love, loss, and the cyclical nature of life and death.

The garden, with its intoxicating fragrance and vibrant colors, becomes a space where the boundaries between reality and myth blur, where the past and the present converge. The reference to Hyacinthus as "an African boy / chosen for beauty, for love, for death" adds another layer of complexity to the poem, suggesting themes of selection and sacrifice that resonate both within the myth and in the broader context of human experience. The setting "beside the water on the esplanade somewhere in Brooklyn, in Paradise" evokes a sense of place that is both specific and universal, a locus of beauty and contemplation that transcends its geographical boundaries.

"The Hyacinth Garden in Brooklyn" is a deeply reflective poem that invites readers to consider the ways in which beauty and tragedy, myth and reality, coexist in our lives. Carruth's skillful weaving of sensory detail, mythological allusion, and philosophical inquiry creates a rich tapestry that captures the ephemeral nature of beauty and the enduring power of memory and myth. Through the lens of a simple walk in a city garden, Carruth invites us to explore the depths of human emotion and the transcendent moments of connection that define our existence.

POEM TEXT: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/browse?contentId=39868

Copyright (c) 2025 PoetryExplorer

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...