Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Oxford, Thirty Years After" by John Updike reflects on the juxtaposition of change and continuity within the historical and cultural landscape of Oxford. Through his revisitation, Updike offers a poignant commentary on the layers of history that coexist in such a storied place, highlighting both the physical transformations and the enduring spirit of the city.

The poem begins with a vivid depiction of the replacement of the emperors’ heads around the Sheldonian Theatre, an iconic Oxford landmark. These heads, originally symbolizing imperial authority and continuity, have been updated with "grotesque great noggins" that are "Roman in style, modern in mocking manner." This replacement suggests a blending of the ancient and the contemporary, with the new heads carrying a hint of irony or critique in their exaggerated features. Updike notes this change with a touch of wry humor, pointing out that the project kept "some Council artist busy for a year or two, and off the dole," subtly critiquing perhaps the utilitarian justification for such artistic endeavors in public spaces.

The description of the Fifties heads as "rotten, eyeless, blackened, the limestone leprous yet imperial" evokes a powerful image of decay, implying that even the grand symbols of past authority are not immune to the ravages of time. Updike’s observation that "the mind supplied what had been lost to time" speaks to the human tendency to reconstruct the past, to fill in the gaps left by the erosion of time with memory and imagination, thus keeping history alive, if only in our minds.

As the poem progresses, Updike shifts from these specific changes to a broader reflection on the city of Oxford itself, noting that "Elsewhere, little change; the long-revered resists where the new succumbs." This line encapsulates a central theme of the poem—the resilience of tradition and heritage against the tide of modernity. While certain superficial aspects like the cafeteria have disappeared ("Our cafeteria is gone"), the more enduring elements such as "cast-iron gates and hallowed archways" remain, enforcing a sense of exclusivity and perpetuating the old guard's values ("still say keep out, not yours, all mine").

The final lines of the poem, describing "old England’s sky of hurrying gray stones," conjure a vivid, almost tactile sense of the English weather and landscape, which mirrors the historical and emotional atmosphere of Oxford. The sky, like the city, is in constant motion, yet somehow perpetually the same, marked by the swift movement of clouds that are emblematic of the fleeting nature of time and the ephemeral quality of human endeavors against the backdrop of a much older, enduring environment.

In "Oxford, Thirty Years After," Updike elegantly captures the essence of Oxford as a place deeply rooted in its past, yet continuously evolving. The poem is a reflection on the nature of memory, the passage of time, and the enduring value of tradition in the face of inevitable change, woven together with a subtle critique of how these changes are managed and memorialized.

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