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Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | |||
The poem opens with a scene of a stranger settling in with "a bath and tin words," immediately setting a tone of ordinariness tinged with the unusual. The evening idlers – lorikeets and back-scratcher vendors – who decline to take cognizance, create a sense of detached observation, a world where the extraordinary coexists with the commonplace. The reference to waiting for the BIG day that happened billions of years ago or is set to occur tomorrow introduces a theme of temporal fluidity, where past and future are interchangeable, and the present moment is caught in a race for comfort and luxury, as symbolized by the new purple bath towels. The intrusion of a stranger who comments on the inability to take a joke, while mentioning orphans and being stranded on an island, introduces an element of absurdity and disconnection. This scenario blends the trivial with the profound, suggesting a world where the boundaries of sense and meaning are blurred. The mention of a woman shouting about her dwelling place not being someone's oven amidst frosted petits fours adds to the surreal and disjointed narrative, painting a picture of a world where personal boundaries and the sanctity of home are contested. The historical reference to the Romans winning in an era that surpasses the age of dinosaurs ties into the poem's title and theme, suggesting a continuity and overlap of different historical periods. This moment of pleasure that scoffs at the taking represents the fleeting nature of happiness and the absurdity of trying to grasp it. The ending lines, with the flash of a sweatshirt and the swooping sail, evoke images of recognition, revelation, and perhaps a challenge to confront or embrace the unexpected. The mention of cheap shadows compared to the price of not gainsaying the sail or getting even with white-haired acrobats hints at the cost of non-confrontation and the complexity of human interactions. "Dinosaur Country" is a thought-provoking and imaginatively constructed poem that invites readers to ponder the intricacies of time, the surreal aspects of daily life, and the human experience of navigating through a world filled with contrasts, transformations, and the pursuit of understanding. Ashbery’s use of vivid imagery, symbolic language, and introspective narrative creates a piece that deeply engages with the multifaceted tapestry of human existence and perception.
| Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...HOW TO GET ON IN SOCIETY by JOHN BETJEMAN AN ANTE-BELLUM SERMON by PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR THE BENCH OF BOORS by HERMAN MELVILLE EVEN SO by DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI THE YOUTH WITH RED-GOLD HAIR by EDITH SITWELL DEATH'S VALLEY by WALT WHITMAN |
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