Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

John Ashbery's "As Umbrellas Follow Rain" is a complex and multifaceted poem that showcases the poet's signature style of blending seemingly disjointed images and narratives. The poem traverses a wide range of themes, including memory, perception, the passage of time, and the randomness of life.

The poem's fragmented structure, with its rapid shifts in scene and perspective, mirrors the chaotic and unpredictable nature of human experience. Ashbery's use of disjointed imagery and abrupt transitions creates a dreamlike, almost surreal quality that challenges traditional narrative coherence.

The opening lines, "Too bad he never tried it— / he might have liked it," immediately introduce a sense of regret or missed opportunity. This theme of things left unexplored or unattempted recurs throughout the poem, creating a backdrop of what might have been.

The interplay between different characters and scenarios in the poem—ranging from a casual exchange of glances to an encounter with Chinese food, from contemplations on school and security rules to reflections on past conquests and adventures—conveys a sense of life's varied and often conflicting experiences.

Ashbery's incorporation of everyday objects and scenes, such as the dish drainer, chinchillas near the stove, or a child's party with lemonade, juxtaposed with more profound or existential reflections, illustrates the blend of the mundane and the significant in daily life.

The passage about the couple pondering an uncertain future in a bleak kitchen setting, alongside the mention of more whimsical elements like chinchillas and mulled claret, underscores the theme of uncertainty and the contrasting aspects of human existence.

The recurring motif of flight, travel, and movement—symbolized by references to geese flying across the moon, harnessing the DeSoto, and rain stealing the king—suggests a continuous journey, both literal and metaphorical, through life's varied landscapes and experiences.

Throughout the poem, Ashbery plays with the idea of understanding and miscommunication, as seen in lines like "It’s the pain just of replying / that makes so many of them take up different lines." This reflects the complexities of human interaction and the challenges of expressing and interpreting meaning.

The closing lines, "We have to hurry in now, / hurry away, it’s the same thing / she said as rain came and stole the king," bring the poem to a close with a sense of urgency and the inevitable passage of time. The image of the rain stealing the king serves as a metaphor for the uncontrollable forces that shape our lives and destinies.

In summary, "As Umbrellas Follow Rain" is a quintessentially Ashberian poem that weaves a rich tapestry of images, scenarios, and reflections. The poem invites the reader to navigate its complexities, uncovering layers of meaning within the seemingly chaotic and fragmented narrative. Ashbery's skillful blending of the ordinary with the extraordinary creates a narrative that resonates with the unpredictability and richness of the human condition.

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