Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Robert Wrigley’s "Letter to a Young Poet" is a rich, layered meditation on the challenges, contradictions, and aspirations of being a poet. Drawing upon the lives and works of literary giants such as Rainer Maria Rilke, Wallace Stevens, Paul Celan, and Walt Whitman, Wrigley frames the act of writing poetry as both an exalted and profoundly human endeavor. The poem reflects on the nature of poetic greatness, the personal flaws of its practitioners, and the daunting task of creating art that resonates both within and beyond the self.

The poem opens with a provocative observation about Rilke, whose "biographies" and "poems" suggest a man who inspires both admiration and unease. Wrigley presents Rilke as an archetype of the deeply flawed yet profoundly gifted artist, stating that he is someone "you?d rather hang than have notice your daughter." This remark encapsulates the paradox of Rilke’s character: his magnetism and creative brilliance are tempered by a sense of moral or personal discomfort. Yet, Wrigley tempers this critique with an acknowledgment of Rilke’s "pure oceanic illogic," the irresistible allure of his poetic vision, even when his assertions are "preposterous / if irremediable verities." In this, Wrigley identifies the simultaneous absurdity and undeniable truth that defines much of Rilke’s work.

The poem expands on Rilke’s seductive relationship with sadness and art, characterizing him as someone "for whom sadness is a kind of foreplay, / for whom seduction is the by-product of the least practical art there is." This portrayal highlights the intoxicating yet impractical nature of poetry itself—a pursuit driven not by utility but by an irresistible compulsion to explore the ineffable. Wrigley’s depiction of Rilke’s mastery of language—"those titanic skills in language, the knack lacked by every other lung-driven swimmer through the waters of lexicon"—praises his unparalleled ability to navigate the complexities of poetic expression, despite the constraints of "grammar" and "usage." This mastery becomes both an ideal and a challenge for the young poet addressed in the letter.

The speaker acknowledges the daunting legacy of poetic predecessors, offering a mix of encouragement and realism: "well, there you go, my half-assed angel, that?s your challenge." This line bridges the gap between reverence for the masters and recognition of the young poet’s own struggles, emphasizing that while the tools of great poets are accessible, the essence of their genius—the "one they all share"—remains elusive. Wrigley invokes other literary figures, including Stevens, Celan, and Whitman, to illustrate the diversity of poetic greatness and its common thread of profound humanity.

Wallace Stevens is presented as a paradoxical figure: someone who balanced the rationality of actuarial science with the "brown salt skin of order" that "sang beyond and in the ache of longing." Stevens embodies the tension between the structured world of logic and the transcendent beauty of poetic imagination. Similarly, Paul Celan’s "most terrible angels" evoke the haunting and transformative power of poetry, ringing "like a bell of rings," a simultaneous expression of beauty and trauma.

Whitman, described as "the dandy of the cocked hat and tilted head," represents another facet of poetic identity: unabashed sensuality, democratic openness, and a profound empathy for the human condition. Wrigley’s characterization of Whitman as "the gentlest, the gentile Jew, the jubilant lonely grubber eyeing the grocery boy" captures the poet’s contradictions—his embrace of the physical and spiritual, his loneliness, and his celebratory inclusiveness.

The poem concludes with a reflection on the duality of poetic aspiration: "Inside them all, a man, if you could help it, you would never consent to become, / except if only, just for once, you could be him." This line encapsulates the tension between admiration for the poets’ genius and an awareness of their human flaws. The young poet is reminded that the act of creating great poetry often comes at a personal cost, requiring a profound vulnerability and immersion in one’s own contradictions. Yet, the desire to experience the world as they did—to inhabit their transcendent moments of insight—remains irresistible.

Wrigley’s free verse structure and conversational tone lend the poem an air of intimacy and immediacy, as though the speaker is directly addressing the reader with hard-earned wisdom. The interplay of humor, critique, and reverence creates a multifaceted portrait of poetic greatness, inviting the young poet to engage with both the humanity and the art of their predecessors.

"Letter to a Young Poet" is both a tribute to the literary giants who shaped the poetic tradition and a candid acknowledgment of the challenges faced by those who follow in their footsteps. Through its blend of reflection, admiration, and realism, Robert Wrigley’s poem captures the complex legacy of poetry, celebrating its transformative power while reminding us of the deeply human flaws that often accompany it. The result is a compelling meditation on what it means to aspire to greatness in an art that is as impractical as it is essential.

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