Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Duet, with Muffled Brake Drums" by John Updike offers a fictional and poetic imagining of the historic meeting between Charles Rolls and Henry Royce, founders of the Rolls-Royce automotive company. This meeting, as noted in an advertisement cited from *The New Yorker*, was a pivotal moment in engineering history. Updike captures this moment with a blend of historical fact and whimsical poetic license, creating a scene that is both grandiose and intimate.

The poem begins by setting a picturesque scene: "Where gray walks slope through shadows shaped like lace / Down to dimpleproof ponds, a precious place." The use of descriptive, almost delicate language establishes a setting that feels both serene and elite, an ideal backdrop for the monumental meeting of two engineering minds. The phrase "dimpleproof ponds" suggests a perfection and stillness in the environment, mirroring the meticulous nature of engineering.

The next lines introduce the characters in a similarly stylized fashion: "There birds of porcelain sing as with one voice / Two gold and velvet notes—there Rolls met Royce." The birds of porcelain symbolize the fragility and beauty of creation, perhaps paralleling the innovative and refined nature of the automobiles that Rolls and Royce would come to create. Their meeting is portrayed almost as a moment of destiny, where two complementary forces come together.

Updike's portrayal of Rolls and Royce themselves is filled with personality and visual detail. Rolls is described with an "umber silhouette / Seemed mounted on a blotter brushed when wet / To indicate a park." This imagery paints Rolls as a figure emerging from the landscape itself, almost a natural part of this refined setting. The mention of the park and the silhouette suggests a blending of nature and man-made beauty, much like the automobiles they would design.

Royce, in contrast, is depicted as precise and tidy: "his teeth and creases straight, his eye / A perfect match for that well-lacquered sky." His appearance reflects the engineering precision for which he is renowned, his demeanor as flawless and controlled as the machines he engineers. The "well-lacquered sky" metaphorically connects the natural world with the polished, engineered products of human invention, suggesting a harmony between human creativity and natural beauty.

The dialogue between Rolls and Royce is formal yet filled with an underlying excitement about the potential of their partnership. Rolls's offer of "A fourth at bridge? Some tea?" juxtaposed with Royce's response, "I’d rather much—make engineering history," cleverly shifts from the polite trivialities of their social class to the monumental significance of their collaboration. Royce's words encapsulate the ambition and foresight that characterized their venture, indicating his preference for substantial achievement over leisure.

"Duet, with Muffled Brake Drums" is a poetic rendition that not only celebrates a historical moment but also reflects on the nature of invention and collaboration. The title itself, with its mention of "muffled brake drums," subtly alludes to the automotive theme while suggesting a rhythmic, almost musical quality to the collaboration between these two figures. Updike uses the poem to blend historical narrative with poetic embellishment, creating a lush, vivid tableau that captures the essence of a momentous meeting in the annals of industrial history.

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