Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"At the Cowboy Panel" by Edward Dorn is a sharply satirical poem that delves into the cultural and literary shifts occurring in a modernizing American West, specifically targeting the juxtaposition between traditional cowboy culture and the emerging dominance of the oil industry. The poem sets its scene at a literary panel, where the discourse seemingly mourns the decline of the cowboy era in favor of narratives centered around oil and urban development.

The poem opens with a provocative statement from Max Apple: "I have no sympathy for poets." This assertion frames the following narrative, suggesting a tension between the commercialized, genre-driven narratives celebrated at the panel and the more nuanced or introspective explorations typically associated with poetry. This tension is a key undercurrent throughout the poem, highlighting a broader cultural shift from the romanticized past to a more commercially and industrially oriented present.

Dorn describes the setting as a "curtain-walled chamber," a phrase that evokes a sense of enclosure and artificiality, perhaps mirroring the constructed nature of the narratives being discussed within. The attendees, described as "western specializers of various breeds," further emphasize the commercial and specialized approach to Western culture, moving away from its historical roots to something more tailored for marketable storytelling.

The mention of genre novelists reminiscing about Houston’s transformation from a landscape dominated by "weedy trees" to one marked by "Pennzoil Skyscrapers" serves as a critique of rapid urbanization and the commodification of land and culture. This transformation is metaphorically described as sprouting from the "ash of real-estate riots," a vivid image that suggests conflict and destruction as the foundations of modern development.

Central to the poem is the declaration that "Cowboys is done, prepare yourself for the Oil Novel," which Dorn presents as the new thematic focus replacing the traditional cowboy narrative. This shift is not just a change in subject matter but symbolizes a deeper cultural and economic transition within the American West, from the rustic to the corporate, from the pastoral to the industrial.

Dorn's critique extends to the literary industry itself, hinted at by the disdainful reference to "hand fed" examples of the Oil Novel, suggesting that these works are artificially nurtured to meet market demands rather than organically grown out of genuine cultural expression. The cynical line, "Squeeze an Arab and Houston Shrieks," sharply comments on the global politics of oil and its local impacts, encapsulating the complex interdependencies between global resource politics and local economic booms.

The scene at the panel, with Max Apple and others described as part of the "bargeloads of tedium," portrays a disillusionment with the direction of cultural discourse, emphasizing the mundanity and insincerity perceived by the speaker. Dorn uses the physical reaction of Ricardo, whose "nerves are not designed to take such" tedium, and his own exhaustion to underscore a deep-seated fatigue with the prevailing narratives being celebrated.

In sum, "At the Cowboy Panel" uses the setting of a literary panel as a microcosm for critiquing broader cultural shifts in the American West, lamenting the commodification of Western culture and the superficial treatment of profound economic and social changes. Through this satirical portrayal, Dorn challenges the reader to question the authenticity and implications of these new narratives replacing the old, venerable tales of the cowboy era.

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