Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

James Schuyler's "A Man in Blue" is a rich, complex meditation on memory, art, and the passage of time, framed within the seemingly simple act of a man raking leaves on a November afternoon. The poem weaves together layers of observation, musical allusion, and philosophical reflection, creating a tapestry that juxtaposes the mundane with the sublime.

The poem opens with the image of a man in blue raking leaves, a scene that immediately situates the reader in a specific, tangible moment. The "French horns of a November afternoon" sets a tone that is both melancholic and stately, invoking the sound of a brass section, which often carries a sense of grandeur or solemnity. The man’s activity—raking leaves with a wooden rake whose "teeth are pegs or rather, dowels"—is described with careful attention to detail, grounding the reader in the physicality of the scene. This grounding is necessary because the poem soon lifts off into more abstract, associative realms.

Schuyler contrasts the man's raking with the boys playing soccer nearby, their shouts of “You got to start over!” echoing through the air. This playful interruption introduces a sense of movement and renewal, a theme that recurs throughout the poem. The round attic window in the neighboring house "waits like a kettledrum," a simile that not only evokes sound but also suggests anticipation, as if the day itself is holding its breath for something momentous.

As the poem progresses, Schuyler introduces the figures of Johannes Brahms and Bruno Walter, connecting the everyday scene to the world of classical music and its associated emotions. Brahms, a composer known for his deep, often brooding compositions, is imagined here as turning his "face like a bearded thumb" to impart wisdom about his Second Symphony. He describes the first movement as a "family planning where to go next summer in terms of other summers," a metaphor that beautifully captures the blend of nostalgia and forward-looking that characterizes both the symphony and human life.

Bruno Walter, a conductor known for his interpretations of Brahms, enters the scene in a "funny jacket with a turned-up collar," adding a touch of warmth and humanity to the lofty proceedings. His imagined conversation with Brahms becomes a dialogue about art, memory, and the passage of time. Walter's gesture of singing the music and "drawing" with his hands reflects the interpretative act, where music is not just performed but visualized, almost like painting or sketching in the air. The copper beech and rhododendron he "glazes" become symbols of nature’s persistent beauty amidst the changing seasons.

Schuyler’s use of sound imagery is particularly striking. The "snapping from the brightwork of parked and rolling cars" ties the abstract discussion back to the physical world, reminding the reader of the persistent hum of life that continues regardless of the profound thoughts or conversations that might be taking place. The poem’s tone shifts towards a philosophical inquiry about the existence of heaven and immortality. Schuyler contemplates whether such lofty ideals can be encapsulated in the imperfect medium of a "small, dusty, rather gritty, somewhat scratchy Magnavox," a symbol for the way great works of art are often experienced through imperfect means.

The poem's conclusion draws these threads together in a poignant reflection on the transience of life and the persistence of art. Brahms and Walter, once towering figures of culture, are now "ensconced in resonant plump easy chairs," their presence lingering in the autumn air like "leaf smoke (sycamore, tobacco, other)." The blending of these scents evokes a rich sensory experience, tying the memory of the men to the natural cycle of decay and renewal. The image of the calico cat "asleep, curled up in a breadbasket" on a sideboard, bathed in sunlight, offers a final, tender contrast to the weighty themes of the poem. It is a moment of quiet, domestic comfort that underscores the poem's meditation on the coexistence of the grand and the humble, the eternal and the ephemeral.

In "A Man in Blue," Schuyler masterfully blends the tangible with the abstract, the everyday with the eternal. The poem is a meditation on how we navigate the complexities of life, memory, and art, and how we find meaning in the seemingly ordinary moments that connect us to something greater.

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