Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"The Structure of Rime XXVIII; In Memoriam Wallace Stevens" by Robert Duncan is a profound homage to Wallace Stevens, exploring the interplay between the poetic imagination and reality. Duncan weaves a complex tapestry that examines the boundaries and intersections of art, time, space, and thought, paying tribute to Stevens’ philosophical and aesthetic inquiries.

The poem begins with a quotation from William Blake, setting a tone of spiritual and intellectual challenge: “That God is colouring Newton doth shew.” This line points to the idea that divine or transcendent forces manifest within the physical and observable universe, a concept that deeply resonates with the rest of the poem.

Duncan describes establishing a "grand Station and Customs" beyond the limits of conventional governance, a metaphorical space where the poet’s art claims its autonomy and authority. This "Gate," a symbol of transition and decision, represents Duncan's own poetic endeavor to define and defend a space for profound artistic expression, much like Stevens did in his work.

Duncan seeks a poetry that "will frame the willingness of the heart and deliver it over to the arrest of Time," suggesting a desire to capture the fleeting impulses of the heart within the permanence of poetic form—a form that contends with time and space, giving ephemeral emotions durability and weight. This pursuit reflects Stevens' own preoccupation with the intersections between imagination and reality, where the act of perception itself becomes a creative force.

The mention of "Desire and Imagination" usurping "the Invisible Throne" underscores a rebellion against the unseen and unknowable absolutes that govern existence. Duncan posits imagination and desire as central to the poetic endeavor, capable of challenging and redefining the invisible laws that underpin reality.

As Duncan contemplates the legacy of Stevens, he describes an "angel...weeping and yet ever attending the betrayal of the Word," a poignant image that captures the pain and beauty of striving towards poetic truth, only to confront the limitations and betrayals inherent in language and expression. This angel symbolizes the eternal struggle of the poet to capture the ineffable, wrestling with the limitations of the word to approach a divine or ultimate meaning.

Duncan’s critique of "Inquisitors of the New Dispensation in Poetry and Historians of Opprobrium" reflects his disdain for those who rigidly police the boundaries of poetic expression, enforcing a "party line" against the ideality Stevens embraced. This ideality represents a belief in the transformative power of the imagination to transcend mundane realities.

The poem closes with a personal affirmation of solidarity with the poetic vision that transcends temporal and spatial limits: "I am with you. I belong to the company without number." Duncan aligns himself with a timeless community of poets and thinkers who defy conventional boundaries and measures. He pledges to carry forward Stevens' legacy, embodying the "necessity of his being here" within his own poetic work.

Overall, "The Structure of Rime XXVIII; In Memoriam Wallace Stevens" is a rich, layered meditation on the power of poetry to challenge, reshape, and transcend the limitations of the physical world, honoring Wallace Stevens as a pivotal figure in this transcendent endeavor. Duncan's poem is a testament to the enduring power of poetic imagination to engage with the most profound existential questions.

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