Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Alice Fulton’s poem "A Little Heart to Heart with the Horizon" engages in a contemplative and whimsical dialogue with the horizon, using it as a metaphor to explore themes of connection, continuity, and the interplay between the mundane and the sublime. Through vivid imagery and a mix of philosophical musings and personal reflections, the poem examines how the horizon serves as a unifying force, a marker of balance, and a source of contemplation.

The poem opens with a playful yet profound observation: "Go figure—it's a knitting performance every day, keeping body and clouds together, the sky grounded." This imagery of knitting suggests the horizon as a seam that holds together different elements of the world, emphasizing its role in maintaining the cohesion of the physical and the ephemeral. The horizon is depicted as both ubiquitous and essential, "ecumenical as everywhere," suggesting its omnipresence and fundamental importance in our perception of the world.

Fulton then shifts to a broader, more sociopolitical context: "Last week we had Thanksgiving. / The post-cold warriors held a summit full of East meets West / high hopes. Why not hold a horizon?" Here, the horizon is proposed as a metaphor for diplomacy and balance, contrasting the sometimes superficial and contentious nature of political summits with the horizon’s inherent stability and neutrality. The idea of "holding a horizon" implies striving for something more genuine and enduring in human affairs.

The poem continues with a vivid description of military rehearsals in the desert: "They said the U.S. Army held rehearsals on monastic sand. In the desert, lieutenants zipped in camouflage thought back to where horizons were an unmade bed, a nap on the world's edge." This juxtaposition of the harsh reality of military exercises with the softness of an "unmade bed" evokes a sense of longing for peace and normalcy amidst conflict. The horizon here symbolizes both a physical boundary and a metaphorical one, representing the edge of experience and the limit of human endeavor.

Fulton’s use of Michigan’s landscape, "short on mountains, long on derricks needlenosing heaven, making evil electromagnetic fields," further explores the intersection of the natural and the industrial, hinting at environmental concerns and the impact of human activity on the natural world. The horizon remains a constant, despite these changes, symbolizing continuity and resilience.

The poem then addresses the horizon directly, admiring its quiet presence and stability: "Your reticence, your serene / lowness, because of you I have something in common with something." This personification of the horizon as reticent and serene underscores its role as a silent witness to human activity and its ability to inspire contemplation and connection.

The horizon’s cyclical nature is highlighted in the lines: "You draw all conclusions and—erasure, auroral—you come back." This suggests the horizon as a point of both ending and beginning, an ever-present marker that remains constant even as everything around it changes. The poet acknowledges the horizon’s beauty and its role in grounding her existence: "I rest my case in your repose, a balance beam, point blank closure / that won't—bows are too ceremonious— / close."

In the concluding lines, Fulton reflects on her own transient nature in contrast to the enduring horizon: "But I am here to vanish after messing up the emptiness. / I am here to stand for thanks: how it is given, hope: how it is raised. I am here to figure long division—love—how it is made." These lines convey a sense of humility and gratitude, recognizing the poet’s fleeting presence against the backdrop of the eternal horizon. The horizon’s stability provides a counterpoint to the poet’s quest for understanding and meaning in love and existence.

"A Little Heart to Heart with the Horizon" by Alice Fulton is a richly layered poem that uses the horizon as a central metaphor to explore themes of continuity, connection, and the search for meaning. Through its vivid imagery and reflective tone, the poem invites readers to consider the horizon’s role as a unifying force and a symbol of both permanence and possibility in a constantly changing world.

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