Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

John Ashbery's poem "Bird's-Eye View of the Tool and Die Co." is a contemplative and multi-layered work that explores themes of perception, memory, and the complexities of human experience. Known for his abstract and often challenging style, Ashbery weaves a tapestry of images and ideas that invite the reader to reflect on the nature of reality and the passage of time.

The opening lines, "For a long time I used to get up early," suggest a past routine or habit, immediately establishing a sense of nostalgia or reflection on past experiences. The details of "20-30 vision, hemorrhoids intact" ground the poem in the physical realities of the body and aging.

The mention of "the Enclosure of time familiarizing dreams / For better or worse" introduces the theme of the subjective nature of time and its impact on our understanding of dreams and reality. The idea that "The edges rub off, / The slant gets lost" speaks to the erosion of memories and the shifting perspectives that come with time.

Ashbery's reference to the villagers celebrating "with less conviction" and the "Index of own organ-music playing" evokes a sense of diminishing authenticity or engagement, both in communal activities and personal reflections.

The juxtaposition of "machinations over the architecture" with "meditated / Gang-wars, ice cream, loss, palm terrain" presents a contrast between the mundane and the dramatic, the light and the dark aspects of life.

The poem shifts to a reflection on "Living hopelessly backward into a past of striped / Conversations." This imagery captures the experience of revisiting the past, where memories are striped or varied in clarity and significance.

The line "As long as none of them ends this side / Of the mirrored desert in terrorist chorales" introduces a surreal and ominous element, suggesting a landscape both reflective and dangerous.

Ashbery's description of "the finest car" and "the simplest home off the coast / Of all small cliffs too short to be haze" creates a vivid scene that blends elements of luxury, simplicity, and the natural world. The imagery of speaking beside the dock and the lighthouse shining "like garnets" adds a layer of beauty and mystery.

The poem's conclusion, left open-ended, mirrors its overall theme of ambiguity and the unfinished nature of understanding and experience.

"Bird's-Eye View of the Tool and Die Co." is a thought-provoking poem that captures the intricacies of perception, memory, and the elusive nature of human experience. Ashbery’s use of vivid imagery and abstract thought creates a narrative that resonates with the impermanence and fluidity of life.

POEM TEXT: https://ashberyhouse.yale.edu/birds-eye-view-tool-and-die-co

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