Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Alicia Suskin Ostriker's poem "Waterlilies and Japanese Bridge" draws inspiration from the life and work of the French Impressionist painter Claude Monet, particularly his series of paintings depicting waterlilies and the Japanese bridge at his garden in Giverny. The poem explores the intersection of art, nature, and the passage of time, while also reflecting on the artist’s relationship with his craft, his environment, and the inevitable decline of his physical faculties.

The poem opens with an allusion to Mallarmé, a symbolist poet known for his dense and evocative language. The reference to "the drowsy girl who rows 'between the sleeping / Vegetations'" evokes a dreamlike state, where the artist, like the girl, navigates through a lush, almost hypnotic landscape. This imagery sets the tone for the poem, which oscillates between the tranquility of nature and the intense, almost obsessive focus of the artist.

Monet is described as both "a sage who drinks / Milk from the breasts of le bon dieu himself" and "bourgeois as possible, mes petits, like a bee." This duality captures the complexity of Monet's character: on one hand, he is a wise, almost spiritual figure, deeply connected to the natural world and to the divine; on the other, he is a man of routine and discipline, living a comfortable life that allows him to dedicate himself fully to his art. The comparison to a bee emphasizes his industriousness and his role as a creator, constantly working and producing.

The poem’s focus on Monet’s regular hours for meals, sleep, and labor in the "poppy-beds" suggests a life of discipline and routine, necessary for his creative process. The mention of earning "three / Or four thousand francs a canvas" highlights the commercial success that allowed Monet the freedom to indulge in his artistic pursuits, even to the point of "whimper[ing] at some failing weather, or some broken flower." This success also affords him the luxury to destroy his imperfect works, a reminder of the high standards he set for himself.

Ostriker describes Monet as a "porcupine" who "Snuffles and roots in the rosebushes," further emphasizing his connection to nature and his almost animalistic approach to his surroundings. The image of him "trot[ting] / Through the thin bamboo forest" to stand at the pond where "Mysterious lilies speechless on the water" float suggests his deep engagement with the natural world, which serves as both his inspiration and his subject.

The repeated emphasis on the color green—"Green, and again green, and again"—mirrors the repetitive yet transformative nature of Monet’s work. His paintings of the same subject over and over again are an exploration of light, color, and form, as well as an attempt to capture the fleeting, ever-changing beauty of nature. The "Regular hours that are to eternity / As bootlace is to boot" suggests that while his routines are mundane, they are essential to creating something timeless and transcendent.

Monet’s obsessive focus on painting the bridge—"This is the year he paints the bridge ten times"—is depicted as a kind of gluttony for light and color. Ostriker portrays him as a "white butterfly among the green and white," flitting between shades and hues, capturing the essence of the scene with each stroke. The "deep sienna accents" add a layer of warmth and richness to the palette, reflecting the artist’s deep engagement with his subject.

The poem concludes with a poignant reference to the year 1922, when "the cataracts / Will crawl, a fungus, over his lenses." This image of cataracts, a disease that clouds the eyes, symbolizes the impending loss of Monet’s vision, which had been his most vital tool as an artist. The transition to painting in red—likely a reference to the visual distortions caused by his failing eyesight—marks the end of an era in his work, where his once-clear perception of light and color becomes muddied and altered by age and illness.

"Waterlilies and Japanese Bridge" is a meditation on the life of an artist, the interplay between discipline and creativity, and the inevitable decline that comes with time. Ostriker captures the beauty and intensity of Monet’s work while also acknowledging the limitations and challenges he faced, particularly as his health deteriorated. The poem is a tribute to the persistence of the artistic spirit, even in the face of physical decline, and to the enduring power of art to transcend the ordinary and touch the eternal.

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