Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Albert Goldbarth's poem "After Seeing the Impressionist Group Exhibit in Kansas City, We Drive Back Through Flatness to Wichita" explores the interplay between art, language, and the natural landscape. The poem begins by reflecting on the dynamic and expressive quality of light in Monet's work, described as "exclamation points" that capture the immediacy and intensity of each moment. This sets the tone for the poem's exploration of how different artists interpret and convey their experiences.

Goldbarth then shifts to Degas, noting the "perfect cognac-color quotation marks" formed by the graceful arms of a dancer. This imagery emphasizes the elegance and precision of Degas' work, where every gesture is deliberate and meaningful. Similarly, Modigliani's depiction of the human form, particularly the "8 mons-defining pubic commas," is likened to a sentence, suggesting the continuous and fluid nature of sexual expression and desire. These commas symbolize pauses within an ongoing narrative, highlighting the idea that sex, like language, is an evolving and ongoing process.

Transitioning from the artistic world to the Kansas landscape, Goldbarth contrasts the vibrant and intricate scenes of Paris with the vast, open fields of Kansas. The landscape here is not adorned with bridges or the bustling life of a city but is instead characterized by its simplicity and expansiveness. Despite this, the poet suggests that the Kansas fields have their own form of legibility and beauty. The "light simply is the field the fields are in," implying that the natural light in Kansas is intrinsic to the landscape itself, creating a unique and inherent beauty that requires no embellishment.

The poem continues by examining the ways in which elements of the Kansas landscape can be read as a form of text. A "gabled farmhouse roof" is described as a "carat adding a weathervane cock to what gets said," transforming the familiar symbol of a carat (^) used in editing to indicate insertion or addition, into a metaphor for the farmhouse roof. This comparison suggests that the elements of the landscape contribute to the overall narrative or meaning of the scene, much like punctuation adds to the clarity and structure of a written sentence.

Similarly, a windmill becomes an "asterisk," a symbol often used to denote additional information or a footnote. This metaphor implies that the windmill, like an asterisk, draws attention to something important yet peripheral to the main text. Finally, the two black hawks in the sky are described as brackets, enclosing and framing the emptiness or silence of the landscape. This imagery reinforces the idea that even in the vastness and seeming emptiness of the Kansas fields, there is a structure and a form of communication at play.

Goldbarth's poem ultimately suggests that both art and nature have their own languages and ways of conveying meaning. Through vivid metaphors and a keen eye for detail, he draws parallels between the expressive techniques of impressionist artists and the subtle, often overlooked beauty of the Kansas landscape. The poem invites readers to appreciate the nuances of both, recognizing that meaning and beauty can be found in the most unexpected places.

Copyright (c) 2025 PoetryExplorer

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...