Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Poems of Marianne Moore" by David Ferry is a reflective piece that captures the essence of Marianne Moore's poetic vision and technique, celebrating her capacity to transform the mundane into the extraordinary through her meticulous observation and distinctive imagery. This poem is presented in two numbered sections, each illustrating a facet of Moore's poetic approach and the magical realism she infuses into everyday objects and experiences.

The first section of the poem explores the transformative power of Moore's perception. The opening lines, "Let her look at a stone: / The stone becomes an apple, The apple of her eye," instantly establish a metamorphosis that is both literal and metaphorical. Here, the stone—an object typically perceived as hard and inanimate—becomes an apple, something organic, nourishing, and alive, purely through the act of Moore's contemplation. This transformation not only highlights the change in the object but also suggests a shift in the observer's perspective, emphasizing the dynamic interaction between the observer and the observed.

This theme of transformation continues with the lines, "Nor is it only the stone: / Her eye becomes a hand / To hold the apple up, / Gently for the mind, / Which is the truest eye, / Kindly to look upon." Here, Ferry delves deeper into the alchemical power of Moore's poetic gaze. Her eye, through which she sees and interprets the world, metaphorically becomes a hand—another sensory organ that interacts more intimately with its subject. This hand does not merely hold the apple; it does so gently, suggesting a careful and considerate examination, offering it up to the "mind," described as "the truest eye." This highlights Moore's belief in the supremacy of the intellectual and imaginative vision over mere sensory perception.

The second section of the poem succinctly captures Moore's artistic process and its delights: "To squeeze from a stone its juice, / And find how sweet it is, / Is her art's happiness." This passage metaphorically suggests that Moore's poetry extracts essence and value from seemingly unyielding or unpromising subjects—the "stone." The act of extracting "juice" from a stone is an inherently magical, alchemical idea, representing the poet's ability to discover and articulate hidden beauty and truth in the least expected places. The sweetness of the stone’s juice is a testament to the unexpected pleasures and revelations that Moore's poetry offers both to the poet and her readers.

Overall, David Ferry’s "Poems of Marianne Moore" captures the essence of Moore's poetic genius—her ability to see beyond the surface of things, to transform the ordinary into the sublime, and to engage the mind in new and surprising ways. Ferry's tribute uses a light touch but conveys a deep appreciation for Moore’s unique vision, encapsulating her method and its joyful realizations in a concise and evocative manner.

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