Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Albert Goldbarth's poem "An Enormous Electro-Magnet is Used to Steal the World's Electricity" weaves together themes of fantastical narratives, the challenge of belief, and the complexity of everyday life. The poem begins with a whimsical summary of a 1925 novel, setting the stage for a broader exploration of how fiction and reality intersect and how both test the limits of our belief systems.

The poem opens with an evocative and bizarre plot summary: an enormous electro-magnet used to steal the world’s electricity, a discovery of Atlantis, and lost tribes of Israel living underground. These elements, drawn from the realm of "Classic Fantastic Literature," highlight the wild and imaginative nature of early science fiction. This introduction serves to juxtapose the fantastical with the mundane, suggesting that both realms—despite their differences—challenge our understanding and belief.

Goldbarth continues by describing various fantastical elements, such as an immortality pill and martial "lizard men" thwarted by "magnetic coil thruster beams." These stories, though outlandish, are said to test "the distant edges of belief." The poet implies that such imaginative works stretch our capacity to believe just as much as more grounded, realistic depictions of life do. The comparison between a credible sunrise in Minnesota and a sun that sends fleets of alien invaders emphasizes this point. Both scenarios, though vastly different, require a suspension of disbelief and engagement with the narrative.

The poem transitions to more "naturalistic twentieth-century fiction," focusing on the mundane yet profound experiences of people growing up in small American towns like Newkirk, Catiesville, and Lake Ketchawan. Here, the challenges and wonders of life—moving towards womanhood or manhood, grappling with post-World War II realities, and striving to maintain faith—are presented as equally formidable and significant as any science fiction plot. The comparison underscores the idea that the trials of everyday life are just as narrative-driven and belief-testing as the most fantastical stories.

Goldbarth poignantly addresses the struggle to maintain belief in a "monitory God whose will is basically benign" in the aftermath of the horrors of World War II. This struggle mirrors another couple’s arduous journey to believe in "a premise as tough as monogamy." Both scenarios highlight the difficulty of holding onto faith—whether in a higher power or in the fidelity of a partner—in a world fraught with uncertainty and hardship.

Through these comparisons, Goldbarth illustrates that the fabric of reality, with its own set of fantastical elements, is as rich and challenging as any fiction. The mundane details of life, from sunrises to personal relationships, require a similar engagement of belief and narrative structure as the most imaginative stories. The poet suggests that our lives, filled with everyday difficulties and small miracles, are narratives in their own right, demanding the same level of faith and wonder as tales of mystical jewels and magnetic beams.

In "An Enormous Electro-Magnet is Used to Steal the World's Electricity," Albert Goldbarth masterfully blurs the lines between fiction and reality, inviting readers to see the extraordinary in the ordinary. By juxtaposing the fantastical elements of science fiction with the profound experiences of everyday life, the poem underscores the complexity of belief and the narrative nature of human existence. Through rich imagery and thoughtful reflection, Goldbarth celebrates the power of stories—both imagined and real—to shape our understanding of the world and ourselves.

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