Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"When You're Dancing, Make the Whole World Dance with You" by Stephen Dobyns is a profound and introspective poem that delves into themes of identity, the quest for meaning, and the ephemeral nature of human endeavors. The poem utilizes vivid imagery and metaphoric language to explore the existential struggle of the self in a world where answers are elusive and the pursuit of understanding can be as confounding as it is compelling.

The poem opens with the speaker demanding their name be brought "upon a platter," signaling a sense of completion or exhaustion from performing—perhaps metaphorically for society or in their personal quests. The applause, echoed by the speaker's own clapping, suggests a self-congratulatory but also a self-mocking tone, indicating a skepticism about the value and sincerity of external validation.

The speaker acknowledges the limits of language—"There are no answers in that language"—and religious imagery, as noted in the absence of a "burning bush" or a refusal to "turn away no golden calf." This reveals a disenchantment with traditional sources of wisdom or guidance, emphasizing a personal journey that rejects conventional paths or solutions.

The comparison to "a lot of Jacobs wrestling together" evokes the biblical story of Jacob wrestling with the angel, a symbol of struggling with divine forces or one's deeper self. However, in Dobyns' interpretation, this struggle is multiplied and internalized among many parts of the self, suggesting an intense internal conflict that leaves the self fragmented, like "clothes torn into thin strips."

The mention of angels who "left without speaking" further underscores a sense of abandonment or unfulfilled spiritual quest, leaving the speaker without the enlightenment or resolution typically granted in such encounters.

As the poem progresses, the imagery shifts to a mysterious and somewhat ominous figure "on a farther shore," an "old man with the usual one eye and slouch hat" who beckons. This figure seems to represent an unknown, perhaps darker aspect of destiny or future selves, contrasting with the spiritual and mythological elements earlier in the poem. The figure's allure is unaffected by "stones," suggesting his appeal transcends material or earthly temptations.

The narrative then becomes more personal and even intrusive, with the speaker admitting to following someone through the city, observing their mundane activities, and hinting at a deep, possibly unsettling familiarity—"I know the sidewalks to your home." This stalking-like behavior paired with the claim of knowing the other so intimately they could "whisper in your ear in a dark moment" and "strip your name from you like an Indian after a scalp" suggests a conquest or absorption of identity, highlighting themes of intimacy and violation.

The conclusion of the poem with the imagery of a final, communal dance leading "up the hill, swaying in single file" towards a door represents a collective movement towards an ultimate revelation or end. The "knocking" that has "always been within us" implies an intrinsic, perhaps subconscious, yearning for resolution or transcendence.

Overall, Dobyns crafts a complex tapestry of human experience, weaving themes of existential search, identity crisis, and the struggle between individual desire and cosmic or fated paths. The poem challenges the reader to reflect on their own quests for meaning, the nature of their performances in life, and the inevitable journey towards an ultimate understanding or conclusion, however uncertain or undefined it may remain.

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