Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

The poem begins with a hypothetical scenario: "What if these long races go on repeating themselves century after century," suggesting a vision of humanity trapped in an endless loop of existence, where patterns of life, behavior, and societal organization perpetuate without significant change. The imagery of "houses painted light colors on the beach" and "black spiders / having turned pale and fat" evokes a sense of stagnation and adaptation to a possibly deteriorating environment. These images serve to illustrate how, over time, even the most vibrant and lively settings can become mundane through repetition, and how creatures adapt to their surroundings in ways that might seem grotesque or unsettling.

The mention of "men walking thoughtfully with their families, vibrations / of exhausted violin-bodies, horrible eternities of sea-pines!" further emphasizes the weariness of repetition. The "exhausted violin-bodies" metaphorically represent the depletion of culture, spirit, and vitality after endless cycles of the same existence. The "horrible eternities of sea-pines" conjure an image of nature as both eternal and oppressive, suggesting that the natural world, too, is caught in the same cycles of existence that ensnare humanity.

Bly then introduces a shift in the poem, where "Some men will leave their houses / To live on rafts tied together on the ocean," indicating a desire for escape and change among some individuals. This move towards the ocean represents a radical departure from established modes of living, a breaking away from the cyclical patterns that have defined human existence. The image of rafts tied together suggests a communal effort and a shared desire for a different kind of life, one that is perhaps more precarious but also more liberated from the constraints of the shore.

Conversely, those who remain on land retreat "inside tree trunks, surrounded by bankers / whose fingers have grown long and slender, piercing through rotting bark for their food." This stark image paints a picture of desperation and decay, where the natural world becomes a refuge from a society that has perhaps become too detached from its roots. The bankers, with their "long and slender" fingers, symbolize the pervasiveness and persistence of economic systems and societal hierarchies, even in a world that seems to be falling apart. Their actions, "piercing through rotting bark for their food," suggest a survival instinct that overrides the decay of the natural and social order.

"Written Near Rome" is a powerful meditation on the potential futures of humanity, reflecting Bly's deep engagement with themes of environmental degradation, societal inertia, and the search for meaning in a cyclical and often repetitive existence. Through its evocative imagery and thought-provoking scenarios, the poem challenges the reader to consider the paths that humanity might take in the face of ongoing and future crises. It poses questions about adaptation, survival, and the choices that individuals and societies might make when confronted with the limits of their worlds.

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