Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Louis Simpson's poem "Nero in Love" is a nuanced exploration of youthful passion, unfulfilled desire, and the dark paths that love—or the lack of it—can lead us down. Through a blend of literary allusion and personal reflection, Simpson navigates the fine line between fantasy and reality, illustrating how the intensity of young love can shape one’s identity and destiny, even when it remains unreciprocated or unattainable.

The poem begins with the introduction of G. L. B. Wiehen, a quiet and soft-spoken man who taught French and played the organ. This calm and almost nondescript figure sets the stage for what seems like an ordinary classroom experience, where students are reading *Britannicus*, a tragedy by the French playwright Jean Racine. The reference to Racine is crucial, as his works often delve into themes of power, love, and moral conflict, setting a tone of high drama and emotional intensity that contrasts with the subdued exterior of Mister Wiehen.

As the class reads the passage where Nero describes his "curious desire" for Junie, the poem shifts from the classroom to the narrator’s own internal world. Nero’s obsession with Junie is recounted in vivid, almost cinematic detail: "Sad, her eyes shining with tears, and bright / Even in the glare of arms and torchlight." This description captures Junie in a moment of vulnerability and raw beauty, "disheveled innocence" amidst chaos, which deeply resonates with the narrator. The image of Junie, torn from sleep and illuminated by flickering torchlight, evokes a scene of both danger and desire, where her beauty is heightened by the very circumstances that threaten her.

The poem then takes a more personal turn as the narrator reflects on how this scene affected him. Like Nero, he becomes infatuated, filled with a longing that is both innocent and obsessive. He imagines himself in Nero’s place, "walking through a long corridor to a great hall" and standing "behind a pillar" to gaze at Junie. This fantasy is powerful, capturing the all-consuming nature of youthful love and the desire to possess or protect something as pure as Junie’s innocence.

However, the narrator’s fantasy is tempered by the harsh reality that "it was not to be." Junie becomes a vestal virgin, a role that symbolizes chastity and devotion to the gods, effectively placing her out of reach. The narrator’s response to this unattainable love is one of frustration and bitterness, expressed through the darkly humorous line, "Enraged, I plunged headlong into a life of crime." This hyperbolic statement suggests the intensity of his feelings, where the rejection or unavailability of love leads to a metaphorical or imagined descent into chaos and moral decay.

The poem ends on a note of irony and self-awareness. The narrator recognizes the absurdity of his youthful passions, acknowledging that his dreams of becoming "one of the Caesars people prayed to" or a "great poet like Racine" were unrealistic and driven by a desire to impress or win over someone who was ultimately unattainable. This realization does not diminish the intensity of his feelings at the time but rather casts them in a different light, showing how easily love can lead us into fantasies of power, greatness, or even self-destruction when it is not reciprocated.

"Nero in Love" is a poignant reflection on the power of unrequited love and the fantasies it can inspire. Through the lens of a young narrator’s infatuation, Simpson explores the ways in which literary and historical figures can become surrogates for our own desires and aspirations. The poem also highlights the often-comedic distance between our youthful dreams and the realities of life, where the grand passions of the past are remembered with a mix of nostalgia and self-deprecating humor. Simpson’s use of literary allusion and vivid imagery creates a rich, multi-layered narrative that captures the universal experience of longing and the inevitable disappointment that follows when our desires remain unfulfilled.

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