Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Pomade" by Rita Dove is a richly textured and evocative poem that intertwines memories, sensory experiences, and the enduring presence of the past in daily life. The poem paints a vivid picture of Beulah, a woman reflecting on her life and the lives of those she has known, particularly Willemma, as she performs the mundane task of sweeping her kitchen floor.

The poem begins with Beulah sweeping away the remnants of her husband’s fishing venture, which brings to mind a memory of a flower she once gathered in Tennessee. This recollection serves as a gateway into deeper memories, connecting her current domestic life to her experiences in nature and moments of personal significance.

Dove masterfully uses imagery to evoke a sense of place and history. Beulah recalls Willemma, a pivotal figure in her life, who introduced her to making pomade from natural ingredients in a rustic cabin. The description of this process is both detailed and sensory, with the skillet exhaling "pears and nuts and rotting fir," creating an atmosphere that is at once homely and transformative.

The cabin itself, leaning "straight away to the south," symbolizes resilience and the passage of time, its orientation towards the "Colored Cemetery down in Wartrace" imbuing it with historical and emotional depth. The mention of everyday culinary activities like making barley soup and cornbread further roots the narrative in the tactile and tangible aspects of life, contrasting with the more ethereal memories and reflections.

Willemma's character is vividly portrayed as a woman of strength and constancy. Despite her adventurous spirit, symbolized by her hair "twisted in two knots at the temples" smelling "like travel," she remained in her place, embodying endurance until her sudden and dramatic collapse while cooking. Her last moments, calling out to a passerby as she fell, highlight her connection to her community and her groundedness in her physical environment.

The poem concludes with Beulah's meditation on the continuity of life and the inescapable pull of time, as she feels herself "slowly rolling down the sides of the earth." This image captures a profound sense of existential movement and inevitability, mirrored by the catfish on the countertop, which grins "like an oriental gentleman," adding a touch of surreal humor to the otherwise somber reflection.

Overall, "Pomade" is a deeply moving poem that explores the layers of human experience through the lens of memory, place, and the everyday rituals that connect us to our past and to each other. Rita Dove's use of vivid imagery, nuanced character portrayal, and the blending of the mundane with the historical creates a powerful narrative that resonates with themes of legacy, identity, and the enduring human spirit.

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