Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Alice Fulton's poem "Barely Composed" delves into the complexities of human desire, vulnerability, and the allure of gold. Through a series of vivid and contrasting images, Fulton explores the tension between the imperfections of humanity and the perceived perfection of gold, ultimately questioning the value and implications of this precious metal.

The poem opens with a direct address, "You are so not gold," immediately setting up a contrast between the human subject and the idealized qualities of gold. The person is described as "ruffled, / stooping, hunchbacked," embodying vulnerability and a longing for the calm, inert state that gold represents. Gold's "calm repose" and its ability to be "inert and beaten / into leaf" highlight its unchanging, stable nature, free from the emotional turmoil and physical imperfections that characterize human existence.

Fulton continues to praise gold for its "ductilemalleable" nature and its reflective yet "implacable" surface. This duality of being both malleable and unyielding suggests a strength and flexibility that humans might envy. Gold's "lack of reciprocity" is valued as a "lack of rust," symbolizing an absence of decay and deterioration. The phrase "In gold we trust" echoes the familiar motto on U.S. currency, emphasizing society's deep-seated reverence for and reliance on gold.

The poem then shifts to explore the practical uses of gold, such as its application in medicine and technology. Gold's ability to be fashioned into "tiny hives / and worn beneath the skin" for dispensing medicines highlights its life-saving properties. Its use in gold implants that help people close their eyes underscores gold's role as a benevolent force, offering comfort and relief. This dual role of gold as both ornamental and functional speaks to its multifaceted value.

Fulton extends the metaphor to gold's durability and permanence, describing gold teeth and plated diaphragms that make the human body more resilient against the elements. The idea of "gold-faced mirrors / like the ones inside / telescopes" capable of detecting distant light emphasizes gold's role in expanding human perception and understanding, even if it means marveling at something that doesn't exist, like a candle burning on the moon.

The poem then addresses the protective and symbolic functions of gold, noting how traders can use scales or acid to verify its authenticity and how it can be molded into a death mask, impervious to tears. This permanence and resistance to change are presented as admirable qualities, yet the speaker hesitates to fully embrace gold. The poem questions why, despite its numerous advantages, gold feels "too precious / for small transactions / and too heavy / for large ones." This paradox highlights the limitations of gold, suggesting that its value may not be as absolute or universally beneficial as it seems.

The final lines reflect on the nature of value and substitution, acknowledging that "paper is its substitute." This statement underscores the practical limitations of gold in everyday transactions and hints at the complexities of economic systems that rely on symbolic representations of value.

In "Barely Composed," Alice Fulton masterfully explores the allure and limitations of gold through a series of striking contrasts. The poem juxtaposes the flawed, needy nature of humanity with the idealized, unchanging qualities of gold, ultimately questioning the true value and role of this precious metal in human life. Through her nuanced and reflective language, Fulton invites readers to consider the ways in which we measure worth and the inherent contradictions in our quest for perfection and permanence.

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