Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"A World Without Objects is a Sensible Emptiness" by Richard Wilbur delves into the complexities of existentialism and spirituality, employing both vivid imagery and abstract thought to navigate the human psyche's search for purpose and meaning. The title itself evokes a sense of void, emphasizing that a world devoid of meaningful experiences or objects would result in "sensible emptiness."

The poem starts by depicting the "tall camels of the spirit" steering towards deserts, a metaphorical representation of the soul's quest for enlightenment or emptiness. The deserts are described as "the whole honey of the arid sun," a place of harsh beauty and simplified existence where distractions are few. These camels are "slow, proud," echoing the ancient wisdom often attributed to such creatures in literature. They seek "Traherne's Sensible emptiness," referencing the 17th-century English poet and cleric Thomas Traherne, whose metaphysical musings often sought the divine in the mundane.

However, Wilbur complicates the journey, presenting a dilemma in the lines "O connoisseurs of thirst, / Beasts of my soul who long to learn to drink / Of pure mirage." This portrays the dangers of succumbing to illusions in the pursuit of enlightenment. "Those prosperous islands are accurst / That shimmer on the brink / Of absence," he warns, reminding us that illusions, or "mirages," can't quench spiritual thirst.

The next stanzas pivot toward the material world, suggesting that enlightenment is not an abandonment of the physical but an integration of it. It mentions "those painted saints, capped by the early masters / With bright, jauntily-worn / Aureate plates," implying that spirituality doesn't require the rejection of worldly beauty but could include a careful, artful participation in it.

In the final stanzas, the poem loops back to the natural world as a site of potential revelation. "Back to the trees arrayed / In bursts of glare, to the halo-dialing run / Of the country creeks," the lines conjure the natural world not as a distraction from but as a conduit for spiritual awakening. The poem closes with the striking phrase, "the spirit's right / Oasis, light incarnate," reconciling the opposing drives of the poem: the thirst for sensible emptiness and the need for worldly, sensory experience.

Wilbur's form and diction contribute to the poem's richness. His use of metaphor, literary references, and juxtaposition of the concrete with the abstract all serve to guide the reader through a complex set of ideas. The poem's formal structure and rhyme scheme also lend a sense of stability to an otherwise ethereal subject matter, grounding the poem as it navigates the tension between the material and spiritual realms.

In conclusion, "A World Without Objects is a Sensible Emptiness" presents a nuanced view of spirituality, one that does not reject the material world but seeks a harmonious balance between the two. Through captivating imagery and intricate conceptual weaving, Richard Wilbur offers an exploration of the human spirit's constant oscillation between yearning for emptiness and celebrating fullness. The poem suggests that perhaps enlightenment lies not in ascetic withdrawal but in a richer engagement with both the spiritual and the material worlds.

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...