Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Lawrence Ferlinghetti's poem "Retired Ballerinas, Central Park West" captures the poignant beauty of aging ballerinas in New York City. The poem is filled with imagery that blends the past elegance of the dancers with the gritty urban landscape of Central Park West. By juxtaposing the fading glamour of the ballerinas' lives with the chaotic energy of the city, Ferlinghetti reflects on the passage of time and the persistence of memory.

The poem begins with a serene image of "Retired ballerinas on winter afternoons / walking their dogs / in Central Park West." This initial scene evokes a sense of tranquility, as the ballerinas maintain a semblance of their gracefulness even in retirement. The detail of "winter afternoons" and "walking their dogs" creates a contrast between the cold, everyday routine and the warmth of their former artistic lives. The poem extends this image to "their cats on leashes," noting that "the cats themselves [are] old highwire artists." The comparison of the cats to "highwire artists" adds a layer of nostalgia and playfulness, suggesting that both the cats and their owners are performers at heart.

Ferlinghetti continues to describe the ballerinas, who "leap and pirouette / through Columbus Circle." This imagery conjures up a vision of these women, still retaining their elegance and grace, dancing through one of New York City's busiest intersections. Their movements stand in stark contrast to the reality around them, where "winos on park benches / (laid back like drunken Goudonovs)" watch them. The reference to "Goudonovs" invokes the grandeur of Russian ballet while highlighting the irony of drunkenness among those who observe them.

As the scene unfolds, Ferlinghetti introduces the soundscape of New York, noting how "the taxis trumpet together / like horsemen of the apocalypse." The noise of the taxis fills the air "in the dusk of the gods," a phrase that hints at an end-of-days feeling, capturing a sense of the ballerinas’ fading glory. The "final witching hour" represents the twilight of their careers, a time when "swains are full of swan songs," hinting at the famous ballet "Swan Lake".

The poem shifts to the ballerinas returning "through the dark dusk / to their bright cells / in glass highrises." The image of "bright cells" evokes a sense of confinement and isolation, suggesting that their once-glamorous lives are now limited to small apartments. Others "sit down to oval cigarettes and cakes / in the Russian Tea Room," a famous gathering place in New York, where they can reminisce about their past over tea.

Ferlinghetti adds further details of their domestic lives, describing how they "climb four flights to back rooms / in Westside brownstones / where faded playbill photos / fall peeling from their frames / like last year's autumn leaves." The "back rooms" and "faded playbill photos" convey the melancholic reality of their lives, as the glamorous days of performing on stage have given way to memories that now fade "like last year's autumn leaves." The playbill photos peeling from their frames symbolize the gradual decline of both their careers and the physical representations of their artistic legacy.

In "Retired Ballerinas, Central Park West," Ferlinghetti poignantly blends the elegance and grace of retired ballerinas with the gritty reality of their current lives. He uses rich imagery and cultural references to explore the contrast between the glamour of their past and the isolation of their present. Ultimately, the poem reflects on the passage of time, the persistence of memory, and the bittersweet beauty of holding onto one's dreams even as they fade into the urban landscape of New York City.

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