Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Charles Harper Webb’s "Identifying with the Buddha" is a sharp, irreverent meditation on names, identity, hypocrisy, and the often-overlooked contradictions in religious narratives. Blending wit, sarcasm, and philosophical reflection, the poem questions the idealization of figures like the Buddha while offering a counterpoint that embraces human imperfection. Webb’s speaker challenges the reverence given to Siddhartha Gautama—pointing out his abandonment of his family—and juxtaposes this against contemporary attitudes toward names, responsibility, and moral expectations.

The poem opens by reminding us of an uncomfortable detail often overlooked in the Buddha’s story: "We forget, praising his lotus feet, that he named his son Rahula: / ?Fetter? or ?Impediment.?” The language immediately establishes a tone of skepticism, subtly mocking the way religious figures are celebrated while their less palatable choices are ignored. The irony of a spiritual figure naming his son "Fetter"—suggesting a hindrance to enlightenment—is particularly striking when contrasted with the reverence surrounding his own name, Siddhartha, which means "Whose Aim Is Accomplished." The speaker questions why such an act is viewed as "just and wise" rather than cruel or neglectful.

Webb extends this exploration of naming conventions to the modern world, ridiculing absurd or unfortunate names: "We fault others for naming children Ima Hogg, Ben Dover, / Isabel Ringing," while pointing out that names with regal or lofty aspirations—"Queen Latifah or Majestyk Magnifycent"—often serve their owners better than names that imply burden or hardship. This satirical observation reinforces the idea that names shape perception, and by extension, identity.

The speaker draws a parallel between Siddhartha’s abandonment of his wife and son and the societal condemnation of his own grandfather for doing the same: "My grandad did that, and his name became a curse." The implication is clear—why does Siddhartha get a free pass for behavior that would otherwise be considered reprehensible? The speaker extends this notion of naming as an act of judgment, calling a pastor "Bore," his wealthy aunt "Windfall," and his mother "Millstone." These renamings serve as acts of personal defiance, suggesting that to name something truthfully—even unflatteringly—is more honest than cloaking it in reverence.

The poem’s meditation on the speaker’s mother adds a personal, emotional dimension. While the Buddha’s mother dreamed of divine elephants, "My mother dreamed of holding a / healthy child, and didn’t care / if it grew up to enumerate the Four Noble Truths and reach / nirvana, or became a shoeshine boy." This stark contrast between spiritual destiny and maternal love highlights the absurdity of expecting divinity over simple human happiness. The speaker’s mother "worshipped" him in her own way, instilling in him a sense of "lovability / that lets me be, sometimes, a mean son-of-a-bitch." The raw honesty in this admission undercuts idealized narratives of parenthood and virtue.

The speaker’s frustration culminates in a direct challenge to religious veneration: "Hey, you / monks with tinkling bells, / orange robes, shaved heads—why not sculpt stone statues of / me? Why not build gold temples to me?" This exaggerated demand mocks the notion of deification, suggesting that reverence is often arbitrary. The reference to "rub[bing] for luck" his stomach—"kept flat with / situps and crunches"—parodies the common image of the laughing Buddha, further dismantling the sanctity surrounding religious iconography.

Webb’s speaker goes further, rejecting asceticism as a path to wisdom: "Siddhartha mortified the flesh until he looked like Uncle Rictus / on Tales from the Crypt, / but didn’t reach enlightenment until he ate well-balanced / meals, and kicked back / in the shade of a Bo tree." The juxtaposition of spiritual deprivation with contemporary self-care reframes the Buddha’s journey as less of a moral victory and more of a realization that comfort, rather than suffering, leads to clarity. This perspective challenges the glorification of suffering as a means to enlightenment.

The final stanza offers an alternative to the grandeur of religious transcendence: "I say forget the old Buddha and follow me, or if not me, then / the Pierces from Pacoima— / Dick and Patti—who work as a bus driver and grocery checker / respectively." By presenting ordinary, flawed individuals as preferable role models, the speaker asserts that fulfillment is not found in renunciation or mythical wisdom but in the messy, unremarkable lives of everyday people. The act of naming reappears in the Pierces’ choice for their twins: "Celeste, / ?heavenly,? and the other David, ?beloved.?” Unlike "Rahula," these names embody hope rather than burden, emphasizing a humanist perspective in which love, not detachment, defines meaning.

Webb’s "Identifying with the Buddha" is a biting critique of idealization, questioning why figures like Siddhartha Gautama escape the scrutiny applied to ordinary people. The poem unravels the contradictions in religious narratives, exposing how reverence often distorts truth. Through humor, irony, and personal reflection, the speaker rejects the pursuit of moral perfection in favor of embracing imperfection, suggesting that true enlightenment may not be found in temples or teachings but in the unembellished reality of human existence.

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