Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"The Extinction of the Dinosaurs" by David Baker is a contemplative exploration of obsolescence, change, and the passage of time, all set against the backdrop of a small, declining town. Through the seemingly mundane activity of old men playing cribbage, Baker draws parallels between the inevitability of change in the natural world and the human-made environment, subtly invoking the grand theme of extinction to reflect on the transient nature of human endeavors and the resilience—or lack thereof—of small communities in the face of progress and neglect.

The poem opens with the old men on the porch of a "parched hotel," immediately setting the scene of decay and abandonment. Their disconnection from the passage of time and the larger forces at play is underscored by their lack of awareness regarding the question, "How much time?" This ignorance or indifference to the broader implications of time and change encapsulates a common human tendency to focus on the immediate or trivial in the face of overwhelming forces of transformation.

The intrusion of the modern world is represented by "Each truck passing on the state highway" that disrupts the broadcast of Paul Harvey, symbolizing the outside world's relentless pace and the inevitable encroachment of progress on isolated pockets of stagnation. The description of the environment as "hot, it's dry," with only "leggy goldenrods sprouting through the ribs of one Ford chassis" paints a vivid picture of desolation and the resilience of nature, even in the face of human abandonment.

Baker's question, "How much time before their game is defunct, too?" extends the theme of extinction from the natural world of the dinosaurs to the human activities and communities that face obsolescence. The imagery of one of the men snuffing out a cigarette and flicking it to the ground, where it joins others around a "pot of dried-out glads," reinforces the motif of neglect and the cyclical nature of decline and disregard.

The poem's concluding lines, "Nobody's going anywhere. Nothing's coming back," resonate with a sense of resignation to the forces of change and the inevitability of endings. This acceptance of stasis and extinction speaks to a broader human condition—the realization that all things, whether as monumental as the dinosaurs or as mundane as a game of cribbage on a hotel porch, are subject to the inexorable march of time and the eventual fade into obscurity or disappearance.

"The Extinction of the Dinosaurs" is a poignant reflection on the themes of impermanence, the impact of time on both the natural and human-made worlds, and the quiet resignation that accompanies the recognition of inevitable change. Baker's use of detailed imagery and the setting of a decaying town serve as powerful metaphors for the broader cycles of life, death, and extinction that define the world.

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