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Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | |||
Albert Goldbarth's poem “If We Were Honest” delves into the intertwined themes of sex and death, revealing how these fundamental human experiences pervade our thoughts, language, and cultural practices. Goldbarth's exploration is candid and unflinching, presenting a layered narrative that challenges the reader to confront the often-hidden impulses behind our actions and expressions. The poem opens with an assertion about the complexity of cultural rituals, which Goldbarth immediately undercuts with a blunt declaration: “I’m thinking of sex. I mean it.” This juxtaposition of academic jargon with a raw admission serves to highlight the disparity between our intellectual pretensions and our primal instincts. Goldbarth suggests that beneath the surface of our sophisticated conversations lies a persistent undercurrent of sexual thought, a universal preoccupation that cuts across all topics and activities. Goldbarth extends this idea by linking the thought of sex with the thought of death: “When I tell you that I’m thinking of sex, / I’m thinking of death.” The poem posits that these two seemingly disparate themes are inextricably connected, each reflecting the other. Death, depicted as a “worm...in my eye” and a “dirt-blown web...a catch in my throat,” is ever-present, influencing our actions and desires. The reference to historical figures such as Napoleon, Alexander, and Attila underscores the universality of this connection, suggesting that even the most powerful individuals are driven by the same fundamental fears and desires. The poem also critiques the literary and academic worlds, where the creation and discussion of poetry often mask the same preoccupations: “every poem is ‘Sex.’ (Or ‘Death.’)” Goldbarth's mention of conferences on the making of poems and resumes of poems serves as a meta-commentary on the self-referential nature of much poetic discourse. By acknowledging this, he reveals the often-overlooked motivations behind the creation of art and literature. Goldbarth then transitions to an anecdote about the crew of the Dolphin trading nails for sexual encounters with Tahitian women, a historical detail that exemplifies the lengths to which humans will go to fulfill their desires. This story serves as a metaphor for the destructive potential of unchecked impulses, as the ship was in danger of being pulled apart. The imagery of human nails merging with the “smooth, bamboo-brown human grain” evokes both the physicality of sex and the inexorable passage toward death. The personal interweaves with the universal as Goldbarth reflects on his parents’ deaths: “my mother would die from her own lungs / shaping hundreds of obstinate fists in her chest, / my father would die with his own blood turning / into a useless negative of itself.” These lines poignantly illustrate the corporeal realities of death, grounding the poem’s abstract themes in lived experience. The inevitability of mortality, he suggests, drives the fervor of human desire and creativity. Goldbarth concludes by tying these themes back to the craft of poetry and societal roles, acknowledging the ever-present influence of sex and death: “This is my topic / tonight, and how the craft of poetry and the role / of the postmodern in a society of gender-defined relationship roles is yes a bare / …knee like a beacon, / like a skull beneath the face-skin.” This metaphor underscores the superficial nature of societal constructs, beneath which lie the raw, visceral forces that truly shape our lives. “If We Were Honest” is a powerful meditation on the dual forces of sex and death that drive human behavior and creativity. Goldbarth’s candid exploration of these themes challenges readers to recognize and confront the fundamental impulses that underpin our actions and expressions. Through vivid imagery and poignant reflection, he reveals the intertwined nature of desire and mortality, ultimately presenting a nuanced and unflinching portrait of the human condition.
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