Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Albert Goldbarth’s "Away" delves into the complexities of human existence, examining the small, often unnoticed moments and their profound implications. Through the lens of a blink, Goldbarth explores themes of disappearance, change, and the intricate, often unnoticed processes that shape our lives and relationships.

The poem opens with a reflection on the seemingly insignificant act of blinking. Goldbarth immediately challenges this perception by comparing a blink to monumental events, such as a meteor impact capable of erasing a city. This juxtaposition emphasizes the hidden significance of everyday actions, suggesting that even the smallest gestures are laden with historical and evolutionary weight. The comparison of a blink to a "brachiate maze of human evolution" and to the "shrilling voice of a fallopian tube or the prostate" further underscores the interconnectedness of our biological processes and the potential for immense pain or change to occur within the span of a blink.

Goldbarth’s use of vivid, almost fantastical imagery continues as he describes eyelashes as "a row of hussar swords uplifted in a toast." This transformation of the mundane into the grandiose highlights the poem’s central theme: the extraordinary within the ordinary. The cockroach, vanishing in a blink, serves as a metaphor for the sudden and often unnoticed disappearances in our lives, whether they be small creatures or significant relationships.

The poem then shifts to a broader perspective, considering the disappearance of entire populations and civilizations. The mention of the Mayan cities, now reclaimed by nature, illustrates the transient nature of human achievements and the inevitability of change and decay. This historical context provides a backdrop for the more personal narrative that follows.

Goldbarth introduces the story of his friend Dolores, whose husband, Eduardo, has seemingly transformed into "a figure of balsa and wax." This metaphor of a perfect likeness replacing the real person speaks to the disintegration of personal connections and the emotional distance that can grow within relationships. The reference to the department of statistics confirming that "thousands of wives and husbands... go up in smoke" each year reinforces the idea that these personal disappearances are not unique but part of a larger pattern of human experience.

The concept of "Away" is portrayed as both alluring and destructive. Goldbarth describes the grass of Away as "a deeper, sweeter, narcotic viridian" than any real lawn, highlighting the seductive nature of escapism and the idealization of the unknown. The desire to be "c/o Vamoose, Oblivion" reflects a yearning to escape the burdens and disappointments of reality.

The poem concludes with a return to the personal, recalling the speaker’s childhood experiences of retreating into sleep as a means of escape. This act of closing the eyes and being "rowed away on the black sea of that disappearing ink" encapsulates the central theme of seeking refuge from the overwhelming and often painful realities of life.

"Away" is a meditation on the small acts and moments that shape our lives, the profound changes that occur unnoticed, and the human desire to escape from the burdens of existence. Through rich imagery and metaphors, Goldbarth captures the delicate balance between presence and absence, reality and illusion, and the ongoing struggle to find meaning and connection in a transient world.

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