Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Rites of Participation, Selection" by Robert Duncan presents a sweeping vision of human connectedness across time, space, and cultural divisions. The poem philosophically explores the dissolution of boundaries—whether they be temporal, geographical, biological, or social—and invites a global, inclusive perspective on human identity and experience.

The poem opens with the declaration of a unifying "fate" or "dream" that encompasses all of humanity and more, reaching beyond the scope of mankind to touch on the universal essence of life itself. Duncan criticizes the old paradigms of exclusivity—such as the "incomparable nation or race" or "the incomparable Jehovah in the shape of a man"—that sought to maintain identity by defending boundaries against what was considered alien. He suggests that these boundaries are now transcended, and all things have entered into a state of comparison, where differences serve as bridges rather than barriers.

Drawing on the work of Paracelsus and the notion of correspondence, Duncan posits that understanding the human condition deeply involves understanding our place within the larger natural world. This idea is expanded with the reference to the development of the concept of ecology, tracing back to its etymological roots and its first uses in the English language, pointing to a holistic view of human form as part of a cooperative design of all living things.

Duncan argues that modern humanity must look to what was once considered primitive—not to see our past selves but to understand our current essence. This involves a radical re-evaluation of who and what we consider as sources of knowledge and wisdom, including the "outcast and vagabond" and the "neurotic and psychotic," as well as the language of bees and the genetic codes written in our DNA.

The influences of Marx, Darwin, and Frazer are noted as revolutionary in their respective fields for bringing things into comparison and imagining a connected world—a commune, a family, a cult of shared existence. This vision contrasts starkly with the imperialistic and isolationist drives that characterized much of human history and underscores a shift towards acknowledging and embracing a shared destiny.

Duncan uses the Symposium as a metaphor for the ancient exclusivity of human intellectual and spiritual endeavor, which was once limited to an elite few (such as the Athenians at Plato's Symposium). He contrasts this with a more expansive modern vision that seeks to include all the "old excluded orders"—the marginalized and the outcast—in the creation of a new understanding of what it means to be human.

The poem is a call to dissolve the artificial separations that have historically divided humanity and to embrace a more inclusive, comprehensive view of human identity. It reflects a belief in the potential for a richer, more diverse human experience, informed by a deeper connection to all forms of life and all aspects of human expression.

Duncan's vision is utopian, advocating for a symposium of the whole, a totalizing embrace of all life and all experiences as part of the human story. This perspective challenges readers to reconsider their own views of history, society, and the natural world, and to reimagine the possibilities of what humanity can become when it acknowledges and celebrates its interconnectedness with all life.

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