Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Aubade: Chant of the Innocents" by Alan Dugan is an intricate poem that explores the dichotomy between the burdens of memory and the routine of daily life, set against the backdrop of a morning—a time traditionally associated with renewal and beginning anew. Dugan uses the form of an aubade, traditionally a dawn love song, but here he repurposes it to delve into personal introspection and the coping mechanisms that individuals deploy to face another day.

The poem opens with the speaker’s resolve to rise in the morning and perform ordinary tasks: making the bed, walking to the door, and admiring things. This deliberate intention to engage in mundane activities serves as a grounding ritual, a way to anchor oneself amid the complexities of life. The speaker's commitment to focusing on the present rather than being bogged down by the painful memories of "sick mornings" where physical and mental discomfort prevailed is a poignant reflection of human resilience.

Dugan vividly captures the agony of those difficult mornings with descriptions like "eyeballs grated on the lid, and the mind clenched, refused to breathe," which communicate intense physical and emotional distress. The juxtaposition of this remembered pain with the speaker's current mundane activities emphasizes a conscious effort to move beyond past suffering. This contrast is deepened by the speaker's refusal to dwell on the "frayed voice" that speaks of enduring "terrible days" as a cost for surrounding decay and personal contortions—perhaps a metaphor for personal or societal decline.

The narrative then transitions to a moment of tentative optimism where the speaker looks forward to a time when he might recall these hardships with "a good deal of nostalgia." This forward-looking perspective suggests a hope that the pain of the present will eventually soften into a less harsh memory, seen through the lens of nostalgia, which often grants a gentler view of past trials.

As the poem progresses, the speaker describes his work environment—a hangar whose doors "open in a huge yawn," anthropomorphizing the scene to convey a sense of waking and beginning. The hangar, and the aircraft within, symbolizes a place of purpose and utility, where the speaker performs "the function for which I am best fitted." The comparison of mechanics to surgeons over an engine underscores the precision and critical nature of their work, though the work itself is described in almost darkly comic terms with "soft, ineffectual mallets" and "black blood" of the engine camouflaging their fumbles.

The closing lines of the poem, where the speaker repeatedly greets his colleagues with "Good morning. Good morning. What a fine morning," illustrate a ritualistic affirmation of the new day. This repetition reinforces the theme of daily renewal and the necessity of facing each day afresh, regardless of the preceding challenges or the mechanical nature of the work.

Through "Aubade: Chant of the Innocents," Dugan articulates a profound understanding of how daily rituals and work can serve as both a distraction from and a method of processing past traumas. The poem captures the tension between confronting and distancing oneself from difficult memories, and how the regularity and community found in work can provide a vital coping mechanism. The aubade, thus, is not just a love song to a person but a complex homage to the practice of living itself, recognizing the pains and pleasures embedded in the rhythms of everyday life.

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