Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

John Updike's poem "Celery" is a lyrical and whimsical ode to a humble vegetable, exploring its physical properties, cultural associations, and the simple pleasures it brings across different demographics. Through vivid imagery and playful tone, Updike elevates the everyday experience of eating celery into a moment worth poetic examination.

The poem begins by positioning celery in relation to fundamental elements: "So near to air and water merely." This line emphasizes celery’s crisp and almost ethereal quality, aligning it closely with purity and simplicity. The description of celery as "green, / fibrous like a ribbed sky at sunset" continues this theme, drawing a parallel between the striated texture of celery and the streaks of color in the evening sky, thus imbuing the vegetable with a grand, almost majestic visual quality.

The structure of the celery is described in terms of "nested arcs," leading to a "shaving-brush heart paler than celadon." Here, Updike’s use of imagery conveys the intricate and delicate internal structure of celery, likened to delicate porcelain, which gives a sense of both fragility and beauty. The specific reference to "celadon," a type of ceramic known for its pale green color, reinforces the vegetable's aesthetic and cultural elegance, subtly nodding to its appreciation in Chinese culture.

Updike cleverly addresses the functional aspects of celery, appreciated by "dieters," for its reputation as a negative-calorie food — "for you take away / more calories in the chewing / than your mass bestows." This aspect of celery is both amusing and miraculous, making it a subject of intrigue beyond its taste.

Children’s interaction with celery introduces a lively, rhythmic element to the poem: "and children, who march around the table / to your drumbeat, / marking crisp time with their teeth, / your dancer’s legs long as they leap." Celery transforms into a musical instrument and a symbol of play, with children engaging with it in a march, its crunch like a drumbeat. This description not only captures the sensory experience of eating celery but also celebrates its role in the joyful, energetic play of children, emphasizing its length and crispness as akin to a dancer's leaping legs.

Overall, "Celery" by John Updike is a charming portrayal of an ordinary vegetable, seen through a lens of wonder and poetic grace. Updike elevates celery from a simple snack to a symbol of natural beauty, dietary utility, and childhood joy, enriching our appreciation for one of nature's modest offerings.

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