Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"$2.50," by Kenneth Fearing, is a sharp critique of the commercialization of art and literature in a society dominated by capitalist values. Through vivid and often ironic imagery, Fearing exposes how the market-driven demands of different social classes shape artistic production, ultimately revealing a loss of genuine artistic integrity. The poem combines social satire with an almost journalistic depiction of the cultural landscape of its time.

The poem begins by mocking the varied tastes of different societal groups: "But that dashing, dauntless, delphic, diehard, diabolic cracker likes his fiction turned with a certain elegance and wit; / and that anti-anti-anti-slum-congestion clublady prefers romance." Here, Fearing uses alliteration and repetition to emphasize the superficiality of these demands. The "cracker" (a term often used pejoratively to describe poor rural whites) demands elegance and wit in fiction, while the "clublady" (a wealthy, socially conscious woman) prefers romance. These tastes are caricatured, revealing their superficiality and detachment from genuine artistic engagement.

The phrase "Search through the mothballs, comb the lavender and lace" implies a nostalgic longing for past values and aesthetic preferences, which are presented as outdated. Fearing then mocks the predictable formulae of popular fiction: "Were her desires and struggles futile or did an innate fineness bring him at last to a prouder, richer peace in a world gone somehow mad?" The rhetorical question highlights the predictable, formulaic endings of such stories.

The poem continues with a satirical address to different authors, starting with "Mr. Filbert Sopkins Jones," who is urged to produce "one more compelling novel" that promises "stark, human while-u-wait, iced-or-heated, taste-that-sunshine tenderness and truth." The mock testimonial-style language satirizes the advertising gimmicks used to sell fiction, reducing it to a product marketed for instant consumption.

Fearing then addresses "Sir Warwick Aldous Wells," asking for "one more comedy of manners," a genre known for its focus on social class and romantic entanglements. The poem goes on to satirize the unrealistic, glamorous portrayals of war-torn romance and aristocracy: "Countess Olga out-of-limbo by Hearst through the steerage peerage, / Glamorous, gripping, moving." These words are almost parodic, underscoring the disconnection of such stories from the harsh realities of life.

The poem shifts to a more direct critique of poetry itself, calling for "just one more long poem that sings a more heroic age." The persona "baby Edwin, 58" represents the infantilization of readers who consume nostalgic, escapist poetry. However, Fearing contrasts this with the harsh realities of economic depression: "But the faith is all gone, / And all the courage is gone, used up, devoured on the first morning of a home relief menu."

The reference to "the picket killed last Tuesday on the fancy knitgoods line" underscores the grim realities faced by the working class, contrasting sharply with the fantasies marketed in popular fiction and poetry. The irony lies in the idea that courage must be "borrowed" from someone who has already paid the ultimate price.

Fearing continues to ridicule the commodification of art, listing symbols of superficial glamour like "the ice for the cocktails, the shy appeal, the favors for the subdeb ball." These, he suggests, "smell of exports to the cannibals, / Reek of something blown away from the muzzle of a twenty-inch gun." The imagery connects capitalist consumerism with violence and exploitation, implying that the superficial glamour is built on the suffering of others.

The poem's final refrain emphasizes the need for a genuine dream that "lives and grows and does not fade" in the face of capitalist exploitation. Fearing directly addresses the "Lady" and the "Cracker," representing the wealthy and the working classes, respectively, urging them to demand a dream that "withstands the benign, afternoon vision of the clublady, / survives the cracker's evening fantasy of honor, and profit, and grace."

In summary, "$2.50" is a scathing critique of the commodification of art and the superficial tastes of different social classes. Kenneth Fearing employs sharp irony, vivid imagery, and satirical addresses to expose the disparity between the marketed fantasies of literature and the harsh realities of life. The poem calls for a more authentic, unflinching artistic vision that can withstand the pressures of consumer culture.

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