Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

John Ashbery's "Street Musicians" is a lyrical examination of identity, time, and loss, layered with textured imagery and rich symbolism. At its heart, the poem ponders the intricate relationships between individuals and the larger societal and temporal landscapes they inhabit. It opens with the disorienting experience of death and loss, exploring how the absence of one person can wrench the soul out of another, leaving the latter to wander aimlessly through life "Wrapped in an identity like a coat."

This coat of identity is not warm or comforting but is instead a heavy burden. Ashbery captures the never-ending monotony of a life altered by loss with haunting phrases like "the same corners, volumetrics, shadows." The world stretches "Farther than anyone was ever/Called," suggesting a profound disconnect between the individual and their surroundings, accentuated by the metaphor of "autumn falling over everything," as if nature itself mourns this existential dislocation.

Further complicating this bleakness is the mention of "an obscure family being evicted." Eviction usually implies a form of exile or displacement, and in this case, it accentuates the universal experience of being dislodged from one's past, from "the way it was, and is." The disconnection is mutual; the bereaved "grew to hate and forget each other," highlighting the emotional complexities in dealing with loss and estrangement.

The speaker then shifts focus, metaphorically cradling an "average violin" that plays "only forgotten showtunes," conjuring images of artistry, history, and music. The violin, despite being average, has the capacity to argue "the possibility of free declamation anchored/To a dull refrain." This brilliantly encapsulates the limitations and potentialities of life: even in monotony and dullness, there exists the possibility for something beautiful, a "free declamation" of one's soul.

November, a month synonymous with a world in decline, brings forth a vivid immediacy: "the spaces among the days/More literal, the meat more visible on the bone." This darkening vision reflects on the inevitable decay of time and the stripping away of life's comforts. The pressing question of origin is suspended "Like smoke," representing the vagueness and perhaps even the futility of seeking foundational truths. This is further elaborated upon by the portrayal of human recklessness, symbolized through trash, sperm, and excrement. This shows the complexity of human impact-both generative and destructive-on the world.

Ashbery's poem speaks volumes about how life's events can fracture the human spirit, while at the same time leaving room for reinvention and rediscovery. Through an examination of identities lost and found, landscapes both external and internal, and the inevitable passage of time, "Street Musicians" acts as a mirror reflecting the multifaceted, often contradictory experiences that shape our existence. The poem itself becomes a street musician, playing tunes of forgotten yesteryears, yet retaining an undeniable immediacy that compels us to pause, listen, and perhaps even find a fragment of ourselves in its complex composition.

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