Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Denise Levertov’s poem "O Taste and See" invites readers to engage deeply with the world around them, to savor life’s experiences fully and transform them into something personal and profound. Through a mixture of religious allusion and vivid, sensory imagery, Levertov emphasizes the importance of being present and appreciative of life's richness.

The poem opens with a slightly altered echo of a famous line from William Wordsworth’s "The World is Too Much with Us": "The world is / not with us enough." This inversion shifts the focus from a critique of humanity’s disconnection from nature to an invitation to reconnect and immerse ourselves in the world. The missing element, as Levertov suggests, is our engagement and presence.

The title and central phrase "O taste and see" are drawn from Psalm 34:8, which says, "O taste and see that the Lord is good." This biblical reference initially directs the reader to consider the divine but quickly broadens to encompass the whole of existence. The subway Bible poster mentioned in the poem acts as a bridge between the sacred and the mundane, suggesting that tasting and seeing can be understood as engaging deeply with all aspects of life.

Levertov then lists a range of experiences: "grief, mercy, language, / tangerine, weather." This eclectic mix captures both the abstract and the concrete, the emotional and the physical. By including grief and mercy alongside tangible items like tangerine and weather, Levertov blurs the boundaries between the spiritual and the earthly, urging us to appreciate the full spectrum of human experience.

The actions "to / breathe them, bite, / savor, chew, swallow, transform / into our flesh" emphasize the physicality of engagement. This process of taking in the world and making it part of oneself is both literal and metaphorical, suggesting that our experiences, whether mundane or profound, shape and nourish us.

The poem continues to weave together images of everyday life and the act of living fully: "our / deaths, crossing the street, plum, quince, / living in the orchard and being / hungry, and plucking / the fruit." The inclusion of death among these daily activities reminds us of the finite nature of life, while the act of "crossing the street" grounds the poem in the ordinary. The references to plum, quince, and living in the orchard evoke a sense of abundance and a return to simpler, more elemental pleasures.

The final image of "plucking / the fruit" ties back to the idea of "tasting and seeing." It suggests an active engagement with life, a willingness to reach out and grasp what the world offers. This act of plucking also implies a recognition of one’s own needs and desires, as well as the courage to fulfill them.

"O Taste and See" by Denise Levertov is a call to embrace life with all its complexity and beauty. By blending the sacred with the everyday, the poem urges us to savor our experiences, transform them into personal growth, and remain deeply connected to the world around us. Levertov’s vivid imagery and reflective tone invite readers to consider how they engage with their own lives and to find joy and meaning in the simple act of living.

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