Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Louis Simpson’s "Music in Venice" is a rich and intricate exploration of Venice, a city historically and culturally synonymous with romance, art, and intrigue. Through a blend of historical references, literary allusions, and vivid imagery, Simpson evokes the timeless allure of Venice while reflecting on the persistence of love and desire as central forces in human experience. The poem weaves together the city's physical beauty with its symbolic resonance, creating a layered meditation on love, art, and the passage of time.

The poem opens with a directive to "Dismiss the instruments that for your pleasure / Have played allegro all through Italy." This command suggests a transition from the lively, joyful music that has accompanied the speaker's journey through Italy to something more contemplative and introspective, fitting for Venice’s unique atmosphere. The mention of paying the musicians and even the poet hints at the end of one phase—a recognition that the lightheartedness of previous experiences must give way to something deeper.

Venice, described as "floating, and suspended / From purple clouds," is immediately set apart as a place of enchantment, almost otherworldly in its beauty and mystery. The call to "Dismiss the music school!" further emphasizes that Venice operates on a different level than the rest of Italy—here, the usual rules and structures are less relevant, and there is a freedom for everyone to "play the fool / In his own way." This notion aligns with Venice’s historical reputation as a city of masked balls, carnivals, and clandestine liaisons, where people could reinvent themselves.

Simpson then invites the reader to "thread the labyrinth of narrow streets, / Bridges, canals, windows of lace and glass," evoking the maze-like quality of Venice’s geography. The city’s architecture, with its "High lattices that spill the scent of almonds," combines the sensory and the visual, further immersing the reader in the city’s unique ambiance. The Minotaur, a mythical creature typically associated with a dangerous labyrinth, is here described as "kind," suggesting that the dangers of Venice are more seductive than deadly. This idea is reinforced by the reference to "an Aschenbach / Round every corner...pursuing Eros," an allusion to Thomas Mann’s *Death in Venice*, where the protagonist Aschenbach is obsessed with the unattainable beauty of a young boy. This pursuit of love, or Eros, becomes a central theme of the poem, intertwined with the city’s identity.

As night falls in the Piazza, Venice is compared to a "lighted space [that] burns like your brandy," with violins and brass playing waltzes and fox-trots. The image of St. Mark’s winged lion perched on a cloud adds a fantastical element, blurring the line between reality and dream. The lovers in the city, "moon-struck," whisper their farewells ("Arrivedercis"), capturing the transient, ephemeral nature of romantic encounters in Venice.

The poem delves into Venice’s history with the mention of a prince staging "The Banishment of Love," where a boy like Eros is rowed in chains down the canal, symbolizing the city’s complex relationship with love and desire. Despite attempts to banish or control love, Eros returns "with many oars," signifying the unstoppable force of desire that permeates the city. Venice, described as a city "built on speculation," stands as a metaphor for love itself—risky, unpredictable, but enduring.

Simpson connects Venice’s mercantile history with the theme of love, noting how "Love sails from India / And Sweden— every hanging cloud pours out / A treasure chest." The trade routes that brought wealth to Venice are paralleled with the influx of love and desire, which continue to drive the city’s cultural and emotional economy. The reference to the Rialto, Venice’s famous market, and the character Antonio from Shakespeare’s *The Merchant of Venice* ties the city’s commercial life to its romantic intrigues. Even Envy, personified and sharpening a knife, is part of this dynamic, as love and desire inevitably invite jealousy and conflict.

"Music in Venice" is a celebration of Venice as a city where love, art, and commerce intertwine, creating a space where human passions are both exalted and commodified. Simpson captures the essence of Venice—its beauty, its history, and its enduring allure—while reflecting on the ways in which love continues to shape and define the human experience. The poem’s rich imagery and allusions create a tapestry that invites the reader to lose themselves in the maze of Venice, where every corner holds the possibility of encountering Eros, the eternal force of love.

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