Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"An Emphasis Falls on Reality" by Barbara Guest is a contemplative poem that blurs the boundaries between perception and existence, evoking a surreal interplay between the tangible and the ephemeral. The poem's abstract imagery and fluid transitions invite readers to question the nature of reality and the role of imagination in shaping our understanding of the world.

The poem opens with the lines "Cloud fields change into furniture. / furniture metamorphizes into fields / an emphasis falls on reality." This transformation of clouds into furniture and vice versa sets the tone for a meditation on how our perceptions shape reality. The fluidity of these images suggests that reality is not fixed but rather subject to change based on our interpretations.

"It snowed toward morning" introduces a temporal element, grounding the abstract transformations in a specific time of day. The phrase "a barcarole / the words stretched severely" evokes a sense of elongation and tension, as if the words themselves are being pulled and reshaped. This stretching of language mirrors the transformations described earlier, reinforcing the idea that reality is malleable and influenced by how we describe it.

Guest continues with "silhouettes they arrived in trenchant cut / the face of lilies," blending the starkness of silhouettes with the delicate imagery of lilies. This juxtaposition of harsh and gentle elements underscores the complexity of reality, which encompasses both clarity and softness. The poet's envy of "fair realism" and her desire for "sunrise to revise itself / as apparition" reflect a longing for an idealized, almost mythical version of reality, one that is both majestic and evocative.

The mention of "two fountains traced nearby on a lawn" brings in a sense of place, grounding the abstract musings in a more concrete setting. This imagery of fountains on a lawn evokes a serene and ordered environment, contrasting with the earlier fluid and transformative images. The poet's reflections on "treatments / of 'being' and 'nothingness'" suggest a philosophical exploration of existence, where illuminations can appear from various directions, orderly and floating like motors on a waterway.

Guest's assertion that "silence is pictorial / when silence is real" highlights the visual and tangible nature of silence, suggesting that even absence can have a concrete presence. This line blurs the distinction between the auditory and the visual, emphasizing how our senses and perceptions are interconnected in constructing reality.

"The wall is more real than shadow / or that letter composed of calligraphy" contrasts the solidity of a wall with the ethereal nature of shadows and written words. The replacement of vowels with walls and costumes from space suggests a playful yet profound exploration of how language and space define our understanding of the world. The metaphor of bringing dogs and cats, born on roads near willows, adds a whimsical touch, suggesting that even the most mundane elements contribute to the tapestry of reality.

Guest's observation that "willows are not real trees / they entangle us in looseness" challenges the conventional perception of willows, presenting them as symbols of fluidity and entanglement. This line invites readers to reconsider their assumptions about the natural world, emphasizing that reality is a complex interplay of fixed and fluid elements.

The poem's conclusion with "The necessary idealizing of you reality / is part of the search, the journey / where two figures embrace" suggests that the pursuit of an idealized reality is an essential part of the human experience. The image of two figures embracing in a house that "looks like a real house" but may move into "ephemeral dusk" and "selective night with trees" reinforces the theme of transience and the blending of reality and imagination.

"An Emphasis Falls on Reality" ultimately reflects Barbara Guest's mastery of abstract and evocative language, creating a rich and layered meditation on perception, existence, and the fluid nature of reality. Through her use of surreal imagery and philosophical musings, Guest encourages readers to explore the depths of their own perceptions and the ways in which they shape their understanding of the world around them.

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