Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Robert Wrigley’s "Progress" is a tightly constructed poem that captures a journey through the natural world, exploring themes of disruption, resilience, and the cyclical nature of life. The speaker’s passage along a trail becomes a metaphor for human impact on nature, as well as a lens through which the complexities of life and death are revealed in startling detail.

The poem opens with an image of "the ruined work of spiders," webs disrupted by the speaker?s movement along the trail. The repetition of the word "web" emphasizes the fragile, intricate structures that define the spiders? existence, underscoring their vulnerability to external forces. These webs, "made clear by the right haft of light," highlight the interplay between visibility and invisibility in the natural world, as some are illuminated while others cling unnoticed until they "full around the face." This tactile imagery draws the reader into the speaker’s immediate experience, blurring the line between observation and intrusion.

As the speaker waves the webs away with a stick, his clothing—"an odd diaphanous / tweed not found in any store"—becomes a surreal amalgamation of natural and human textures. This transformation suggests a merging of the speaker with the environment, even as his actions disrupt it. The contrast between the mundane (his stick and clothing) and the extraordinary (the diaphanous effect of the webs) hints at the tension between human activity and the delicate ecosystems it affects.

The speaker’s unwavering movement—"never once broke stride or slowed"—stands in stark contrast to the stillness and precision of the spiders’ work. This relentless forward motion reflects a certain human disregard for the intricacies of the natural world, even as the speaker becomes entangled in it. However, the return journey offers a shift in perspective: "though coming back he saw, / by the tatters of the webs, / wind-swung, tangled and combined." The ruined webs, now altered by wind, become a symbol of resilience and the interplay of chance and adaptation.

The poem reaches its climax with the striking image of two spiders, "each devouring the other." This act of mutual consumption is both violent and mesmerizing, capturing the raw, cyclical nature of life. The spiders’ "mandible to abdomen" embrace is a visceral depiction of survival, where destruction and creation coexist. The presence of the "pale egg swags" beneath them adds another layer of complexity, symbolizing potential life hanging precariously in the balance.

The eggs, "pendulous, albuminate, by gravity drawn down, / perfectly swaying," are both fragile and enduring, their movement governed by natural forces beyond the spiders’ control. The addition of the "single spectacular blue fly" adorning each egg sac introduces an unexpected burst of color and vitality. The flies, drawn to the eggs, underscore the interconnectedness of life and death, as they may both nourish the eggs and signal their fragility.

Wrigley’s use of free verse allows the poem to flow naturally, mirroring the speaker’s unbroken stride along the trail. The language is precise and vivid, capturing the physicality of the natural world in intricate detail. The tone is observational yet deeply reflective, balancing the speaker’s initial indifference with a growing awareness of the complexity and beauty of the ecosystems he encounters.

"Progress" is a meditation on the interconnectedness and resilience of life, even in the face of disruption. Through its vivid imagery and layered narrative, Robert Wrigley invites readers to consider the impact of human actions on the natural world, as well as the cycles of creation and destruction that define existence. The poem resonates as a reminder of both the fragility and tenacity of life, urging us to pause and appreciate the intricate webs that surround us, even as we inevitably move through them.

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