Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

John Updike's poem "Comp. Religion" succinctly traces the evolution of religious thought and practice in a way that is both humorous and insightful. The poem navigates through the progression from primitive to complex religious systems, highlighting the cyclical nature of human engagement with the divine and the supernatural. Updike employs a tight structure and rhyme scheme to lend a playful tone to a topic that spans the breadth of human history and culture.

The poem opens with the "fear of mana," referring to a Polynesian concept of a spiritual force or power, often associated with both objects and people. This idea represents humanity's initial attempts to make sense of the unexplainable forces of nature and life. The term "mana" encapsulates the awe and fear that early humans felt towards the natural world, which they inhabited and often did not understand.

As the poem progresses, "the love of tribe" comes into play, introducing a social dimension to religious practices. This phase includes "Native dances, totems, ani-Mism and magicians," which signify the diverse ways different cultures have personified natural elements and phenomena to relate to them more intimately. Animism, the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence, is pivotal in this anthropological interpretation of religion.

The transition to more organized and hierarchical religious structures is marked by the emergence of "Spirits, chiefs in funny hats, / And suchlike spooks" which are "sublimated / Into gods and ziggurats." Here, Updike points out the development of polytheistic religions with complex pantheons (polyarmed and polyheaded gods) and monumental religious architecture like ziggurats, which were terraced temples common in ancient Mesopotamian valley civilizations.

A critical shift occurs when "Puristic-minded sages edit / Their welter into one sweet Will." This line reflects the historical movement towards monotheism—a consolidation of divine power from many gods into one supreme deity, which simplified and unified religious belief systems but also intensified them.

The conclusion of the poem is particularly striking: "This worshipped One grows so enlightened, / Vast, and high He, in a blur, / Explodes; and men are left as frightened / Of mana as they ever were." Updike suggests that as monotheistic religions evolved to conceptualize a god who is all-encompassing, transcendent, and ultimately unknowable, this deity becomes so abstract that it almost disappears—bringing humanity full circle back to its original, primal fear of the unknown or mana.

Through "Comp. Religion," Updike not only provides a poetic summary of religious evolution but also critiques the perpetual human struggle to find certainty and comfort in religious belief. Despite the sophistication and complexity of our religious structures, the fundamental human emotions towards the divine—awe, fear, and the search for understanding—remain largely unchanged.

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