Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Wash" by John Updike vividly captures the transformative moment when a prolonged period of rain gives way to sunshine, seen through the everyday act of hanging laundry. The poem uses this simple domestic scene as a metaphor for renewal and communal relief following a dreary spell, imbuing the mundane with profound significance and a touch of humor.

Updike opens with a powerful image: "For seven days it rained that June." This line sets a scene of incessant gloom, likening the persisting storm to a restless dog "trying to settle himself on a rug." This simile not only personifies the storm but also effectively conveys the discomfort and unease that come with continuous rain, impacting everyone underneath its reach—"We were the fleas that complained in his hair." This comparison humorously portrays the human condition under such weather, small and irritable.

On the eighth day, a dramatic shift occurs. This change is heralded not by a grandiose description but through the very relatable image of laundry: "My neighbors' clothes has rushed into all the back yards / And lifted up their arms in praise." The sudden appearance of clothes hanging out to dry symbolizes a collective exhalation and joy at the arrival of sunshine. The personification of the clothes, with arms lifting in praise, injects a spiritual or celebratory quality to the act of drying laundry, echoing religious imagery of resurrection or thanksgiving.

The view "From an upstairs window" further enhances the scale and impact of this moment, making the scene appear "prehistorical." This perspective casts the everyday backyards into a tableau of timelessness, where "Workshirts and nightgowns, long-soaked in the cellar," are now exposed to the sun. The list of various garments— "Underpants, striped towels, diapers, child's overalls, bibs and black bras"—serves to humanize and ground the experience, representing households and lives interrupted by the rain.

The clothing items are described as "thronging the sunshine / With hosannas of cotton and hallelujahs of wool." Updike uses religious language to elevate the act of airing out washed clothes into a chorus of joy and redemption. This spiritual metaphor not only emphasizes the relief felt after the rain ceases but also celebrates the return of the sun as a life-affirming, almost sacred occurrence.

Overall, "Wash" transforms a simple scene of hanging laundry after a rainy week into a vivid celebration of renewal and communal spirit. Updike's use of dynamic imagery, metaphor, and personification adds depth and resonance to the poem, highlighting the profound joy found in ordinary moments of sunshine after the storm.

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