Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s poem "The Canticle of Jack Kerouac" is a tribute to his fellow Beat poet and friend, Jack Kerouac. Through a series of lyrical and narrative passages, Ferlinghetti explores Kerouac's life, his deep connection to his hometown of Lowell, Massachusetts, and the enduring influence of his literary legacy. The poem merges the spiritual with the mundane, reflecting on Kerouac's Catholic upbringing, his wanderings across America, and his longing to return home.

The poem begins with an image of Kerouac's early life in Lowell:

"Far from the sea far from the sea  

of Breton fishermen  

the white clouds scudding  

over Lowell  

and the white birches the  

bare white birches  

along the blear night roads  

flashing by in darkness."

The repetition of "far from the sea" emphasizes Kerouac's distance from his ancestral Breton roots while firmly situating him in Lowell. The "white birches" and "blear night roads" evoke a cold New England landscape, where "Pop's old Plymouth" carries young Jack along familiar paths.

Ferlinghetti imagines Kerouac's heritage in mystical terms, describing "a Merrimac madonna" and "a leaf blown / upon sea wind / out of Brittany / over endless oceans." This imagery hints at Kerouac's sense of displacement and search for belonging.

The poem then moves into a more reflective tone, describing "a garden in the memory of America" and "a nightbird in its memory." Here, Ferlinghetti establishes a metaphorical landscape where Kerouac's spirit resides, filled with the echoes of "an andante cantabile" and "a nightsong." The imagery of a "private place" and "secret garden" suggests a nostalgic vision of America as Kerouac once imagined it.

Ferlinghetti evokes scenes of childhood and familial love:

"In the cry of kids  

in tenement yards at night  

In the deep sound  

of a woman murmuring  

a woman singing broken melody  

in a shuttered room  

in an old wood house  

in Lowell."

These images of tenements, lullabies, and old houses capture Kerouac's early life in Lowell and his memories of his mother, "rocking backward / to Whistler's Mother in Lowell." Ferlinghetti acknowledges the influence of "all the tough old / Canuck mothers / and Jack's Mémère."

Moving to the more public sphere, the poem shifts to the Old Worthen Bar in Lowell, where "Kerouackian revellers" gather in 1987. They "crowd the wood booths / ancient with carved initials / of a million drinking bouts," paying homage to Kerouac and his "Shrouded Stranger" persona. The bar becomes a shrine to his legacy.

Ferlinghetti also portrays Kerouac's spirit in the Four Sisters Diner, "also known as 'The Owl,'" where "Lowell Greek and Gaspé French" families gather for breakfast. He writes, "Jack Kerouac / comes smiling in / baseball cap cocked up / hungry for mass / in this Church of All Hungry Saints." This diner is a sanctuary for the restless, where Kerouac is welcomed like a saint.

The fifth section presents Kerouac as "the Silent Smiler / the one / with the lumberjack shirt / and cap with flaps askew." Here, Ferlinghetti reflects on Kerouac's persona as "Ti-Jean the Smiler," who haunts the "redbrick mill buildings / down by the riverrun." The mighty Merrimac River serves as the backdrop for a dance between Kerouac and his beloved "Mémère," blending familial love and spirituality.

Ferlinghetti depicts Kerouac's journeys across America in "speedy cars," likening him to "Dr. Sax's shadow" and calling him "a shroudy cloud over the landscape." He aligns Kerouac with Walt Whitman, Jack London, and Thomas Wolfe, connecting his vision of America to theirs. Kerouac's "Song of the Open Road" is "sung drunken," echoing through an America "now long gone / except in broken down dusty old / Greyhound Bus stations."

In one of the poem’s most poignant scenes, Ferlinghetti imagines Kerouac in "an angel midnight bar / somewhere West of Middle America," where he encounters a "drunk madonna." Their silent exchange captures the loneliness and longing that characterized much of Kerouac's writing.

Ferlinghetti describes Kerouac's return to Lowell, "in one more doomed / Wolfian attempt / to Go Home Again." He walks past the "Stations of the Cross," reciting the French inscriptions "in his Joual accent," which makes the plaster French Christ "laugh and cry." This return to his Catholic roots brings both solace and despair.

In the final two sections, Ferlinghetti depicts Kerouac's spiritual journey as "Light upon light" while "The Mountain / keeps still." The final lines, "He steals away / with the Bell," suggest a quiet and enigmatic departure.

"The Canticle of Jack Kerouac" captures Ferlinghetti's admiration and affection for Kerouac while exploring the complexities of his life and legacy. The poem is a rich blend of myth, nostalgia, and spirituality, offering a lyrical portrait of one of America's most iconic literary figures. Through his evocative imagery and narrative depth, Ferlinghetti brings Kerouac’s spirit to life, preserving his memory in a beautiful and haunting canticle.

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