Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s poem "One of Those Paintings That Would Not Die" ( “A Coney Island of the Mind: 12”) explores the haunting persistence of a painting whose image refuses to fade. Ferlinghetti employs vivid imagery and metaphor to convey the relentless nature of artistic inspiration and the unsettling emotions it can evoke.

The poem begins with a description of "one of those paintings that would not die," setting the tone for a relentless image that "once conceived / would not leave / the leaded ground." The metaphor of a painting that won't die suggests that this artwork has a life of its own, resisting all attempts to erase or suppress it. The term "leaded ground" refers to the surface of the canvas prepared for painting, which here becomes a battleground for the artist.

The artist tries to banish the image, but "no matter how many times / he hounded it / into oblivion / Painting over it did no good / It kept on coming through." This metaphor of "hounding" implies a fierce struggle between the artist and the image, as if the painting were an adversary. Despite repeated efforts to cover it up, the image stubbornly reemerges "through the wood and canvas."

The painting then takes on a more sinister quality as it "cried at him / a terrible bedtime song." The juxtaposition of "bedtime song," typically associated with comfort and security, and "terrible" creates an unsettling contrast. This song turns bedtime into a nightmarish experience, where "each bed [becomes] a grave." The image of the bed as a grave evokes death, loss, and the finality of human mortality, suggesting that the painting symbolizes deeper existential fears.

The phrase "mined with unearthly alarmclocks / hollered horribly / for lovers and sleepers" amplifies the sense of dread. The image of "unearthly alarmclocks" introduces a surreal element, where the ordinary act of waking up becomes a jarring and terrifying event. The alarm clocks are "mined," as if they are traps set to go off unexpectedly. The "hollered horribly" evokes a sense of urgency and panic, disrupting the peace of lovers and sleepers alike.

In "One of Those Paintings That Would Not Die," Ferlinghetti creates a haunting meditation on the nature of artistic inspiration and the emotions it can stir. The painting’s persistence represents the artist’s struggle with an idea or emotion that refuses to be suppressed, continually resurfacing despite attempts to bury it. The poem explores the dark side of creativity, where inspiration can become an obsession and art can uncover the fears and anxieties that lie beneath the surface. Ultimately, Ferlinghetti captures the uneasy relationship between the artist and his work, revealing how art can both illuminate and disturb the depths of the human psyche.

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