Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Robert Wrigley?s "Under the Double Eagle" offers a vivid tableau of a nocturnal scene rich with music, longing, and the tender chaos of human life. The poem’s title, referencing a well-known military march, contrasts sharply with the intimate, almost clandestine atmosphere Wrigley depicts, underscoring the interplay between public spectacle and private moments.

The opening image of pansies "drinking the darkness down, replenishing their purples" sets the tone for the poem’s subtle interplay between natural imagery and human emotion. The pansies, delicate and receptive to the night, mirror the themes of renewal and sensitivity that unfold. This juxtaposition of light and dark, sound and silence, forms the framework of the poem’s exploration of familial roles, youthful awakenings, and the redemptive power of music.

The central figure, the father, is introduced with a quiet intensity. His cigarette glows "a slow exaggerated pulse," a detail that anchors him physically while suggesting his introspection. The description of him playing guitar is meticulous, reflecting both his skill and his absorption in the music. The tempo of the song, "leaning forward into recklessness," parallels his emotional surrender to the moment. Wrigley portrays the father as a figure of both authority and vulnerability—he is the anchor of the family yet susceptible to the pull of the music and the night.

The presence of the daughters, particularly the youngest, introduces a contrasting dynamic of innocence and burgeoning autonomy. The scene out front, where she "giggles and squirms away from the boy who would touch her," captures a moment of youthful exploration and tension. Her actions, both resistant and inviting, reflect the complex emotions of adolescence, where boundaries are both tested and defined. The father, though physically removed from this scene, is connected through the music he plays, his song bridging the generational divide.

Wrigley’s attention to sensory details deepens the reader’s immersion in the scene. The "minor key" of the wind and the "sliver of moon" evoke a sense of melancholy and mystery, aligning the natural world with the human emotions at play. The guitar, described as having an "elegant, rich-scented chamber" and a "slim-waisted body," becomes a character in its own right, its sensuality echoing the themes of desire and vitality coursing through the poem.

The father’s music, both skillful and spontaneous, serves as a metaphor for his role within the family and the larger forces shaping their lives. His playing is not merely entertainment but an act of creation and connection, embodying the balance between control and surrender. The reference to "the kingdom of blind men and saints" situates him within a lineage of artists and dreamers, those who channel their humanity into transcendent acts of expression.

The final moments of the poem, where the wind and tempo intensify, bring the various threads together. The glowing ember of the father’s cigarette briefly illuminates his face, hinting at the complexity of his character—his concentration, care, and perhaps his unspoken hopes or regrets. The inability to see his hands, "working above the supple strings," reinforces the mystery of creation and the intangible nature of the connections he forges through his music.

“Under the Double Eagle” captures a fleeting yet profound moment in time, where the boundaries between the individual and the collective, the mundane and the sublime, blur. Wrigley’s deft use of imagery and rhythm mirrors the ebb and flow of the father’s playing, creating a poem that resonates with the quiet power of lived experience. It is a celebration of music’s ability to articulate what words cannot, to bind people across generations and experiences, and to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.

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