Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"New Orleans" by John Updike offers a stark, unvarnished glimpse into the historical and contemporary spirit of New Orleans, presenting a city steeped in a mixture of cultural richness and moral complexities. The poem unfolds as a narrative of evolution, from the city’s opportunistic origins to its modern-day incarnation as a hub of tourism and entertainment, capturing the enduring vibrancy and the shadows of its past.

The poem opens with a cynical view of the city's founding, described as the "Fruit of a French scam, the New World being one big get-rich-quick scheme." This introduction sets a tone of exploitation and deceit, suggesting that New Orleans was established not out of noble ambitions but as part of a broader colonial venture aimed at economic gain. Updike’s mention of the city "sinking its bricks in Mississippi mud" evokes the physical and metaphorical grounding of New Orleans in a place of instability and mire, hinting at the city’s perpetual struggle against natural and human challenges.

The architectural progression to "the first dry row received the wood of columned Greek Revival" reflects a shift towards grandeur and an attempt at cultural refinement, symbolizing how New Orleans sought to position itself as a place of importance and beauty amidst its muddy foundations. Yet, the juxtaposition of grand architecture with the grim reality of life in the city is quickly introduced through the mention of Storyville, the infamous red-light district. Updike’s reference to whores being kept "like pigs, naked and doomed" in cribs sharply contrasts with the earlier image of Greek columns, presenting a raw, unglamorized snapshot of exploitation and human misery.

The historical suffering of the city is further highlighted by the mention of yellow fever, which "wiped out one third of the populace each summer." This recurrent devastation underlines the harshness of life in New Orleans, where death was a regular visitor and yet, paradoxically, the city remained vibrant and populated, continually replenished by "both slaves and masters," indicating the deep-seated inequalities and the cyclical nature of suffering and recovery.

Transitioning to contemporary New Orleans, Updike shifts focus to the modern-day economic drivers of the city. "Now good times are the commodities marketed, not cotton, indigo, molasses, rice." This line suggests a transformation from an economy based on tangible goods to one centered around entertainment and leisure, reflecting a broader change in how the city interacts with the world and what it offers to outsiders. However, the description of "modern pickaninnies tap-dance, but sullenly" injects a note of cynicism into this portrayal, implying that despite the outward appearance of festivity, there remains an undercurrent of exploitation and dissatisfaction.

The comparison of the strip joints’ offerings of flesh to a "quickly spoiled crop" and the assertion that "bad rock shouts out jazz’s gracious ghost" lament the commercialization and degradation of New Orleans’ rich cultural legacies in jazz and other local traditions. Updike’s use of the term "gracious ghost" poignantly captures the sense that the authentic spirit of the city’s musical heritage has been overshadowed by a crasser, more commercialized version of entertainment.

Overall, "New Orleans" by John Updike is a contemplative and critical reflection on the identity of a city marked by both cultural richness and historical exploitation. The poem weaves together themes of economic opportunism, architectural evolution, human degradation, and the commercialization of culture, presenting a nuanced and somewhat melancholic portrait of New Orleans’ complex legacy. Updike challenges the reader to see beyond the festive surface of the city and consider the deeper, often darker, layers of its history and present.

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