Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Ron Padgett’s “Bastille Day" is a meditation on absence, memory, and the difficulty of perceiving what is no longer there. At first glance, the poem seems to be about the poet’s visit to Paris and his attempt to locate the remnants of the Bastille, the infamous prison destroyed in the wake of the French Revolution. However, as the poem unfolds, it becomes clear that the subject is much larger: the way we process loss, both historical and deeply personal. Through simple language and an almost conversational tone, Padgett weaves together reflections on vanished structures, grief, and the uneasy feeling of confronting emptiness.

The poem begins with a straightforward recollection: The first time I saw Paris / I went to see where the Bastille / had been, and though / I saw the column there / I was too aware that / the Bastille was not there. Padgett sets the scene plainly, with an understated rhythm that mirrors the quiet disorientation of searching for something that no longer exists. The key phrase—too aware that / the Bastille was not there—introduces the theme of absence as something one can feel, even in the presence of a commemorative structure. The monument, which marks the site, does not replace the reality of the fortress itself, leaving the poet grappling with the idea of perceiving emptiness.

The next lines—I did not know how / to see the emptiness.—articulate the central paradox of the poem. How does one see what is gone? This question, deceptively simple, resonates beyond the historical reference, gesturing toward the larger human struggle of confronting loss. Absence, by its nature, is intangible; yet, as Padgett suggests, we often attempt to give it shape, whether through monuments, memory, or ritualized mourning.

The poem shifts to a contemporary example: People go to see / the missing Twin Towers / and seem to like feeling / the lack of something. This comparison moves from the personal to the collective, from 18th-century Paris to post-9/11 New York. Here, Padgett notes that people seek out places of historical devastation, engaging in a kind of negative seeing—acknowledging presence through absence. The phrase seem to like feeling / the lack of something carries an edge of irony or bewilderment; it suggests that there is something compelling, perhaps even comforting, in standing before an empty space where something monumental once stood. Yet, Padgett subtly distances himself from this impulse, questioning the way people approach grief as an experience to be visited.

From historical absence, the poem pivots to the poet’s personal grief: I do not like knowing / that my mother no longer / exists, or the feeling / of knowing. This shift is abrupt yet entirely natural, revealing that the underlying meditation on absence is not just about architecture or history, but something deeply intimate. The statement—I do not like knowing—conveys a resistance to the fact of loss, an unwillingness to fully internalize the reality of his mother’s death. The phrase the feeling / of knowing suggests that knowledge of loss is not purely intellectual; it is something felt, something that lingers beyond mere recognition.

Padgett acknowledges the possible incongruity of his comparison with a self-conscious aside: Excuse me / for comparing my mother / to large buildings. Also / for talking about absence. This moment of reflexive awareness adds a touch of humility, as if he is aware of the strangeness—or perhaps even the inadequacy—of likening personal grief to historical loss. Yet, in doing so, he underscores the universality of absence. Whether it is a prison, skyscrapers, or a beloved mother, the disappearance of something significant leaves a space that cannot be easily filled.

The final lines—The red and gray sky / above the rooftops / is darkening and the inhabitants / are hastening home for dinner. / I hope to see you later.—offer a quiet resolution. The shift to a broader cityscape suggests a return to the present moment, where life continues despite the weight of absence. The description of the sky as red and gray carries a muted, somber beauty, while the image of people hurrying home for dinner grounds the poem in the rhythms of daily existence. The closing line—I hope to see you later.—is poignant in its simplicity. It could be addressed to the reader, a loved one, or even the poet’s mother, carrying an undercurrent of longing and the fragile hope of reunion, whether in life or memory.

Padgett’s “Bastille Day" is a meditation on the difficulty of perceiving absence, exploring how history, collective memory, and personal grief intersect. The poem’s plainspoken style and direct syntax enhance its emotional weight, making its insights all the more striking. While the poet acknowledges that absence cannot truly be seen, he nonetheless makes it felt, demonstrating that even in loss, there remains the presence of longing, reflection, and the ongoing motion of life.

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