Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"After a Passage in Baudelaire" by Robert Duncan is a reflective and metaphorically rich poem that explores themes of departure, arrival, and the restless journey of the soul. Drawing inspiration from Charles Baudelaire, Duncan uses the imagery of a ship—a motif often found in Baudelaire’s work—to delve into the complexities of human emotions and existential inquiries.

The poem begins by personifying the ship as a vessel not just for physical travel but for the journey of the soul. "Ship, leaving or arriving, / my soul, leaving or coming into this harbor," Duncan writes, blurring the lines between the ship and the self, making the ship a metaphor for his own state of being—whether coming or going, the soul is perpetually in a state of transition, constantly seeking harbor yet simultaneously setting sail.

Duncan intricately describes the ship, noting its "lights and shadows sheltered, at home in your bulk, the cunning regularity and symmetry throughout of love’s design, of will, of your attractive cells and chambers." Here, the ship is portrayed as a structured, safe space where order and beauty in design reflect the ordered or desired configurations of life and relationships. Yet, there is an underlying tension between the comfort of the familiar and the allure of the unknown.

As the ship rides "forward, darkest of shades over the shadowed waters," it moves both literally and metaphorically into the light and out of the darkness, reflecting the human condition of moving through periods of uncertainty towards understanding or enlightenment. Yet, this movement disturbs its own reflection, suggesting that in seeking knowledge or change, one inevitably alters one’s own identity or perception.

The poem shifts to consider the perspective of the individual within the ship: "What passenger, what sailor, / looks out into the swirling currents round you, as if into those depths into a mirror?" This questioning reflects the introspective journey of the self, looking into the depths not only of the sea but of personal existence—searching for reflections of the self in the moving world around.

Duncan captures the universal human feelings of "hunger and impatience" that are evoked by the lights in the port-holes of the ship, metaphorically standing for the desires and aspirations that call us to new experiences and places. The desire "to make my bed down again, there, beyond me," suggests a longing to settle yet simultaneously a recognition that one’s place and peace might always lie just beyond reach, in another, unexplored space.

The poem concludes with a poignant reflection on the collective journey of humanity: "We too, among the others, passengers in that charme infini et mystérieux, in that suitable symmetry, that precision everywhere." Here, Duncan alludes to the shared human condition of traveling through life, each person a passenger in the mysterious and infinitely charming journey of existence. Despite the symmetry and order, there remains an element of betrayal or unfaithfulness, perhaps to one's own ideals or desires, as we sail away, continually leaving parts of ourselves behind in the quest for the new.

Duncan ends with a contemplation of poetry itself, suggesting that it arises from the continual movement and the patterns we imagine around us—our fates and destinies intertwined and yet distinct. The poem thus becomes a meditation not only on personal identity and existential migration but also on the creative process, where the swirling currents of life inspire the rhythmic and complex constructions of poetry.

In essence, "After a Passage in Baudelaire" is both a homage to Baudelaire’s profound influence on modern poetry and an exploration of the poet's own thematic obsessions with travel, the sea, and the soul's perpetual quest for meaning and belonging.

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