Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Evening News II" by David Ferry is a profound and unsettling poem that delves into the dissonance between the external world of media and the internal world of personal response and identity. Through vivid imagery and a collage of scenes, Ferry captures the complex, often disturbing flood of information presented by the news and its impact on an individual's psyche.

The poem opens with a powerful visual: "The face looking into the room; / Behind it light, shaking, like heat / Lightning; the face calm and knowing." This face, likely that of a news anchor or a similar figure, serves as a conduit for the information that follows, symbolizing the interface between the viewer and the world's events. The juxtaposition of the shaking light with the calm demeanor of the face suggests a contrast between the turmoil of the events being reported and the polished surface of news presentation.

Ferry moves to describe the content of the news in abstract but evocative terms: "The mouth may be telling something. / Something about our helplessness; / Something about the confusions of beasts; / The consequence of error; systems / Haywire, or working; the stars gone / All wrong in the body’s courses." These lines reflect the often chaotic and overwhelming nature of news content, which can range from political or technological failures to natural disasters and beyond. The metaphorical language — stars gone wrong in the body’s courses — poetically captures the feeling of cosmic misalignment and disturbance that such news can evoke.

The narrative then shifts to a surreal and almost mythical depiction of conflict: "Out on the plain of Mars, brilliantly / Played under the lights, searched out / Beyond any answer, the game went on / Far into the night; the bloodiest came / Home from the battle seeking the prize." This passage may symbolize the relentless, gladiatorial nature of contemporary conflicts, whether literal or metaphorical, emphasizing the relentless pursuit of victory at great cost.

The scene becomes intensely personal and painful with "The women were disgraced; hair streaming, / Pleading into the staring: buy, buy—; / Was it my daughter I was seeing?—" These lines evoke images of exploitation or victimization, possibly referencing advertisements or news stories that objectify or capitalize on human suffering. The speaker's shock at potentially recognizing his own daughter among those exploited adds a deeply personal anguish to the barrage of impersonal news.

Ferry concludes with a shift in imagery to "The light swallowed itself, a balloon / Deflating; somewhere in the darkness / A murmuring let itself go." This ending metaphorically represents the fading impact of the news as it retreats into the background of the viewer's consciousness. The deflating balloon suggests a sense of loss, emptiness, or disillusionment, while the final murmuring portrays the lingering, unresolved echoes of what has been witnessed.

"Evening News II" presents a layered, reflective critique of how news is consumed and processed, highlighting the alienation and emotional dissonance that can result. Through his use of vivid imagery and shifting scenes, David Ferry crafts a poem that challenges the reader to consider the deeper impacts of our daily engagement with media, questioning what it means to witness, absorb, and internalize the chaotic tapestry of global events.

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