Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

James Schuyler's poem "Now and Then" navigates through a landscape of memory and place, blending the rural and the urban, the past and the present. The poem creates a vivid portrayal of the Vermont countryside and its people, intertwining it with a contemplative reflection on the passage of time, change, and the persistence of memory. Through its expansive imagery and colloquial tone, Schuyler paints a picture of a world that is both familiar and distant, evoking a deep sense of nostalgia and loss.

The poem begins with the sound of a chainsaw, a jarring noise that interrupts the quiet of the valley. This sound, which "rises to a shriek" and then "subsides to a buzz," sets the tone for the entire poem, where moments of clarity and noise are followed by quiet reflection. The chainsaw, initially thought to be someone "cutting in his wood lot," turns out to be two men "clearing shoulders of a narrow high-crowned road." This mundane detail introduces the theme of labor, particularly the kind of hard, physical labor that defines rural life. The men, described as having "a country look," embody the ruggedness and practicality of the people who inhabit this landscape.

Schuyler’s portrayal of these men, especially the one with "one fierce eye" and a "cicatrix" where the other should be, brings attention to the harsh realities of life. These are men who "don’t make much" and therefore don’t spend much on "glass eyes, tooth-straightening devices, nose jobs." Their lives are marked by a kind of stoic acceptance of their circumstances, a "vestigial fear of the evil eye" that hints at a deeper, perhaps superstitious, connection to the land and its traditions.

The poem then shifts to a broader view, moving from the individual to the communal, as it describes the men stepping out of the "Adamant Co-op" into the evening light. The description of the landscape—Sodom Lake, the long-shadowed bluish haze, and the boys who "stare unabashed and unaggressive"—captures a moment of stillness and reflection. The name "Sodom Lake" introduces a biblical reference that adds a layer of moral complexity to the scene, suggesting a place that is both sacred and profane.

Schuyler’s exploration of memory and time continues as he reflects on the changing landscape. The drive "past, driving down, driving over" the Winooski River and through Granite City evokes a sense of movement through time as well as space. The reference to "Granite City Real Ice Cream" and "The Monument Capitol" roots the poem in a specific place, yet these landmarks are described in a way that suggests they are fading into the past. The granite buildings, "marred to our eyes by etched polished granite remodeled downstairs," symbolize the encroachment of modernity on the old world, a world that is slowly disappearing.

The poem’s latter half delves deeper into this theme of loss and obsolescence. Schuyler writes of a road leading up a high hill, past "walls of flat cleared-field stones," remnants of a time when "so much labor so long ago" went into making these structures. Now, these walls are being reclaimed by nature, "a host to hardhack and blueberry baby steps," as the land returns to its wild state. This imagery captures the inevitable decline of human efforts in the face of time, as well as the poet’s recognition of the transient nature of all things.

As the poem moves towards its conclusion, the imagery becomes more surreal and fragmented. The cold breaks on the hills "to the soft crash of a waterfall beyond a beaver pond," and the cold "flings imaginary fragments of cat’s ice" into the night sky. These lines evoke a sense of isolation and disconnection, as the poet contemplates the "most beautiful thing" in the midst of a cold, indifferent landscape.

The final stanzas of the poem return to the theme of change, as the poet reflects on the transition from summer to fall and the approach of winter. The description of "croquet days, scissor-and-paste nights" and the observation that "bits of ribbon from an electric typewriter patch a screen" suggest a longing for the past, a time when life was simpler and more predictable. The poem ends with a reflection on the inevitability of change, as the "long white refrozen in frost on frost" symbolizes the relentless passage of time.

"Now and Then" is a rich, textured meditation on the passage of time and the persistence of memory. Through his use of detailed imagery and a conversational tone, Schuyler captures the essence of a rural landscape in transition, while also exploring the deeper emotional currents that run beneath the surface. The poem is a poignant reminder of the fleeting nature of life and the enduring power of memory to connect us to the past.

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