Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Dorianne Laux?s "If This Is Paradise" explores the tension between the primal simplicity of existence and the human inclination toward meaning-making and innovation. Drawing inspiration from Oscar Wilde?s assertion that "the true mystery of the world is the visible," Laux meditates on the paradoxical beauty and futility of human effort within the natural world. Through evocative imagery and rhetorical questions, the poem challenges readers to reconsider the very acts that define civilization and to contemplate a return to a more instinctual way of being.

The poem opens with a direct acknowledgment of nature?s inherent wonder: "trees, beehives, / boulders" and "bald moon, shooting / stars." These are simple, tangible elements, their beauty self-evident and untouched by human artifice. By framing these as components of paradise, Laux situates the natural world as sufficient in itself, a realm where the visible holds all the mystery one might seek. This sets the stage for her exploration of human discontent—our tendency to reach beyond what is given, to question, create, and complicate.

The invocation of "sensate flesh" and "hidden bone" personalizes this paradise, emphasizing the body as an intrinsic part of the natural world. The speaker?s suggestion that "your own eyes / opening" is paradise invites the reader to find wonder in the mere act of existence. This perspective aligns with the poem?s central tension: if life itself is enough, why do humans feel compelled to transcend their animalistic instincts and create?

Laux juxtaposes the instinctual life of animals with the complexities of human civilization. She describes a primal existence, one of "the hunt / for water, fat berries, the mushroom?s / pale meat." These activities are rooted in survival and sensory pleasure, untouched by abstraction or technology. The imagery of "tumble through waist-high grasses / without reason" evokes a carefree, unthinking immersion in the natural world. Yet, this vision of animalistic contentment contrasts sharply with the human capacity for innovation and its consequences.

The poem?s rhetorical questions—"Why pick up the stick at all? / Why see the wheel in the rock?"—underscore humanity?s pivotal moment of departure from this instinctual paradise. The stick and the wheel, symbols of early technology, represent the human urge to transform the environment and impose order upon it. Laux critiques this impulse by questioning its necessity: if paradise is already present, why strive to change it? The metaphor of "a bowl full of fire" taken "from the burning fields" evokes the myth of Prometheus, the bringer of fire and, symbolically, knowledge and civilization. Yet, the speaker calls this act into doubt, labeling it "pretend" and "magic," as if to diminish its significance or to suggest its ultimate futility.

The poem’s tone oscillates between reverence for the natural world and skepticism about human progress. The repeated refrain "If this is paradise" anchors the speaker?s inquiry, casting doubt on both our perception of paradise and our actions within it. Laux does not outright condemn humanity?s innovations, but she invites the reader to reflect on their purpose and impact. Are they enhancements to paradise, or distractions from it?

Ultimately, "If This Is Paradise" is a contemplative meditation on the nature of existence and humanity’s role within it. Laux challenges the reader to reconsider the relationship between simplicity and complexity, instinct and invention. Through her vivid and thought-provoking imagery, she presents a vision of a world that is already complete, yet constantly reshaped by the restless hands and minds of its human inhabitants. The poem leaves us with an open-ended question: in a world where the visible already holds such mystery, why do we feel compelled to seek more?

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