Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"The Structure of Rime XXII" by Robert Duncan, dedicated to Dean Stockwell, is an intricate and symbolically rich poem that delves into the relationships between sound, sight, and meaning. Through vivid imagery and complex metaphorical language, Duncan explores the sensory experiences and the poetic process, blending the visual with the auditory to create a multisensory collage of perception and expression.

The poem begins with the image of "Sounding the triangle," which immediately introduces the theme of music and sound as a means of artistic and perhaps mystical exploration. The triangle, a musical instrument known for its clear, resonant tone, symbolizes the clarity and purity of the artistic vision or insight that the poem seeks to articulate. The "notes the eye signs, signatures of seeing in what is seen" suggest a synesthetic blending of senses—here, sight and sound intermingle, implying that true perception involves multiple senses simultaneously interpreting the environment.

The "grand collage" further develops this idea, presenting a scene where "signs flash green against blue, black against white, red against yellow." This vivid, almost chaotic interplay of colors represents the complex and multifaceted nature of reality, where different elements and sensations overlap and interact. The "enlarged pupils of the emerging doctrine" metaphorically suggest an intense focus or a new way of seeing, guided by an "hidden teacher" of sound that instructs and enlightens, indicating a deeper, perhaps esoteric knowledge being imparted through these sensory experiences.

Duncan then shifts to a more kinetic and communal imagery with the reference to "rock-and-roll frenzy, the old bacchanal wave of noontide over noontide." This passage evokes a sense of timeless, ecstatic celebration, linking the contemporary music scene with ancient rituals of excess and joy. The "pull-blinds sing in the light" and the "voices of devout shouters fill the car as it goes" create a dynamic scene of movement and sound, a journey both literal and metaphorical toward enlightenment or artistic revelation.

As the poem progresses, Duncan's language becomes increasingly mystical and symbolic. The journey transforms into a "ballad, the USA, high way leads us on, feeds us children of Orpheus," drawing upon the myth of Orpheus, the poet and musician who could charm all living things with his music. The references to "Black Aces, the Four Corners, the Hot Stars" likely symbolize various cultural or cosmic forces that influence and drive the artistic and spiritual journey. The "sun a red ball no longer of light but of the down dipping heat of the day" suggests the setting sun as a symbol of transformation—from the clarity of day to the mystery of night, from illumination to introspection.

The conclusion of the poem, "Enters the triangle where the eye turns on to the rays of sound upon sound. But the ideogram is of silence," returns to the synesthetic imagery, where visual and auditory elements converge. The triangle reappears as a space of convergence, a focal point where sensory experiences are intensified and transmuted. However, despite the overwhelming sensory input, the ultimate revelation is "silence," implying that true understanding or enlightenment transcends the sensory and enters the realm of the ineffable.

In "The Structure of Rime XXII," Duncan crafts a complex meditation on the nature of perception, art, and understanding. Through a dense tapestry of imagery and allusion, the poem explores how we construct meaning from the chaos of sensory input and how art both reflects and shapes our understanding of the world around us. The poem itself becomes a kind of mystical journey, leading the reader through layers of sound, sight, and symbolism toward a deeper, though ultimately unspoken, truth.

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