Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Calix of the Oboe Breaks" by Conrad Aiken is a richly metaphorical poem that delves into the intricate relationship between music and emotion, and the power of artistic expression to capture and transform human experiences. Aiken’s poem is notable for its vivid imagery and the way it weaves musical elements into a tapestry of emotional and sensory experience.

The poem begins with a striking image: "The calyx of the oboe breaks, silver and soft the flower it makes." Here, Aiken personifies the oboe, a musical instrument, transforming it into a blooming flower. This metaphor suggests the emergence of music as something organic and natural, akin to the blooming of a flower. The use of “calyx”, which is the outermost whorl of a flower, encapsulating the petals and protecting the bud, hints at the idea of music emerging from a protective shell, unfolding into beauty.

In the following line, "and next, beyond, the flute-notes seen, now are white and now are green," Aiken introduces synesthesia, a literary device that blends senses. The flute's notes are not only heard but also seen, and their colors change. This evokes the fluid, ever-changing nature of music and its ability to evoke a spectrum of emotions and images.

The poem then poses a rhetorical question: "What are these sounds, what daft device, mocking at flame, mimicking ice?" This line probes the mysterious nature of music and its power to evoke contrasting elements like fire and ice, symbolizing the range of emotions music can express, from the warmth of passion to the chill of sorrow.

The phrase "Musicians, will you never rest from strange translation of the breast?" speaks to the ceaseless endeavor of musicians (and perhaps artists in general) to translate complex, often contradictory human emotions into art. It suggests that this creative process is both a compulsion and a quest, driven by the need to articulate the human condition.

In "The heart, from which all horrors come, grows like a vine, its gourd a drum," Aiken touches on the dual nature of the human heart, capable of both love and horror. The heart is likened to a vine, an image of growth and life, yet its product is a drum, an instrument of rhythm but also one associated with the march of time and the inevitability of death.

The poem culminates in a surreal, almost otherworldly image: "trilling leaf and tinkling grass glide into darkness clear as glass; then the musicians cease to play, and the world is waved away." Here, the natural and the musical meld seamlessly, suggesting a transcendence of the ordinary world. The poem ends with a sense of closure, as both music and the world dissolve into silence and nothingness.

In conclusion, "Calyx of the Oboe Breaks" is a lyrical meditation on the power of music as a transformative force. Aiken's use of vivid imagery, synesthesia, and metaphor creates a multi-sensory experience that captures the essence of music’s capacity to articulate the inexpressible aspects of human experience. The poem itself becomes a musical composition, weaving together sounds, sights, and emotions into a harmonious whole.

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