Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Louis Simpson's poem "White Oxen" is a richly evocative meditation on the passage of time, the journey of life, and the interplay between the real and the mythic. Through the imagery of the oxen climbing a mountain road, Simpson invites readers to contemplate the slow, steady movement toward an inevitable, mysterious destination.

The poem begins with a straightforward description of a man walking beside a pair of oxen, cracking a whip. This initial image grounds the poem in a rural, almost timeless setting, where the oxen pull a cart adorned with images of "Saracens and Crusaders," figures from a distant, perhaps mythic, past. These fierce warriors with "ranks of spears" suggest a world of conflict and heroism, contrasting sharply with the slow, deliberate pace of the oxen. The juxtaposition of these images hints at the tension between the mundane and the epic, between the everyday and the legendary.

As the oxen ascend "the steep road / that goes up the mountain," the poem's focus shifts to the physical act of climbing, with the "neat-stepping hoofs" flickering in the sunlight and raising dust. The oxen's progress is both laborious and graceful, a measured ascent that reflects the difficulty and dignity of their task. The road up the mountain can be seen as a metaphor for life's journey, with its challenges and gradual, often imperceptible, progress.

The oxen climb higher, "higher than the roofs / on which striped gourds and melons / lie ripening." The reference to the ripening gourds and melons suggests the passing of time, the cycles of growth and harvest, which contrast with the oxen's steady, unchanging movement. As they move among "the dark green olives / that grow on the rocks," the landscape becomes more rugged and inhospitable, reflecting the increasing difficulty of their journey. The olives, a symbol of peace and endurance, grow in a place of struggle, further emphasizing the theme of persistence in the face of adversity.

The oxen eventually "dwindle as they climb," disappearing momentarily "around a corner" only to "reappear walking on the edge / of a precipice." This image of the oxen teetering on the brink of a precipice introduces an element of danger and uncertainty, as they traverse the narrow, perilous path. The poem suggests that as one ascends in life—whether literally up a mountain or metaphorically through the stages of existence—the path becomes narrower, more treacherous, and increasingly shrouded in "mist and darkness."

The final stanza of the poem shifts from the concrete to the visionary. The speaker reflects, "I think I can see them still: / a pair of yoked oxen / the color of ivory / or smoke, with red tassels, / in the gathering dusk." The oxen, now almost spectral in appearance, seem to be fading into the twilight, their color ambiguous and ethereal—"ivory or smoke." The red tassels provide a final touch of vividness, a remnant of the physical world as the oxen move further into the unknown. The "gathering dusk" symbolizes the end of the journey, the approach of night, and the transition from the known world to the mysterious and possibly spiritual realm beyond.

"White Oxen" is a powerful meditation on the passage of time, the inevitability of death, and the journey toward the unknown. Through the imagery of the oxen climbing a mountain, Simpson captures the slow, deliberate progress of life, marked by both beauty and struggle. The poem invites readers to consider the nature of their own journeys, the challenges they face, and the mysterious, often unseen forces that guide them toward their final destination. The closing image of the oxen in the dusk, on the edge of vanishing, leaves the reader with a sense of both melancholy and awe, a reminder of the transitory nature of life and the enduring mystery of what lies beyond.

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