Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

The poem "The Purse-Seine" by Robinson Jeffers begins with the lines, "While this America settles in the mould of its vulgarity, heavily thickening to empire / And protest, only a bubble in the molten mass, pops and sighs out, and the mass hardens." The poem reflects on the changes taking place in American society in the early 20th century, and it explores themes of decay, corruption, and the loss of innocence.

The speaker suggests that America is becoming increasingly vulgar and corrupt as it grows into a powerful empire. The protests against this corruption are portrayed as fleeting and ultimately insignificant in the face of the overwhelming forces at play. The image of a bubble popping and sighing out suggests a sense of futility and despair, as if even the act of protesting is pointless in the face of such overwhelming forces.

As the poem progresses, the speaker reflects on the nature of progress and the consequences of unchecked growth and expansion. He suggests that the pursuit of wealth and power can lead to a kind of spiritual emptiness and decay, and that this emptiness can spread and infect even the most innocent and pure of things.

The poem ends with a sense of resignation and despair, as the speaker suggests that there is little hope for the future of America. The image of the "purse-seine" trapping and killing fish suggests a sense of violence and destruction, and it reinforces the sense of decay and decline that permeates the poem.

Overall, "The Purse-Seine" is a powerful and complex work of poetry that explores themes of decay, corruption, and the loss of innocence. The poem encourages readers to reflect on the consequences of unchecked growth and expansion, and to consider the ways in which the pursuit of wealth and power can lead to a kind of spiritual emptiness and decay.

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