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Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | |||
"Never to Get It Really Right" by John Ashbery is a complex and multifaceted poem that delves into themes of perception, memory, and the elusive nature of understanding and meaning. The poem navigates through various settings and images, creating a tapestry of experiences that are both vivid and ambiguous, characteristic of Ashbery's style. The poem opens with a description of rooms with neoclassic moldings, filled with a "tan light" that seems to drain life from its surroundings. This imagery sets the tone for a meditation on the ephemeral and transient nature of experiences. The speaker's reflection, "I was inert, I still am," suggests a sense of stasis or inability to change, a theme that resonates throughout the poem. The mention of a "beaker of living silence" carries a sense of potential communication or connection that is never fully realized. The speaker's abrupt departure, "I am gone. I am always down here, gone," reinforces the idea of missed connections and the fleeting nature of interaction. The poem shifts to a surreal scene with thousands of mermaids awaiting orders, creating a sense of anticipation and unfulfilled potential. The "once-weary enchanter" who keeps them at bay suggests a power or force that inhibits action or realization, further emphasizing the theme of inaction and stasis. Ashbery's imagery continues to weave through various scenes, including the chaos of the street, the beauty of birds, and the randomness of an elevator carrying debris. These images create a sense of disorientation and the unpredictable nature of life. The poem reflects on the passage of time and the changing of seasons, with the speaker admitting uncertainty about how to end any season. This admission speaks to the larger theme of the poem: the difficulty of finding closure or resolution in life's experiences. The final stanza contemplates the human condition, with the speaker acknowledging that "We are only fabulous beasts, after all." This line suggests a recognition of the fantastical and constructed nature of our perceptions and experiences. Overall, "Never to Get It Really Right" is a contemplative and enigmatic poem that explores the complexity of human experience and the challenge of finding meaning in a world that is constantly shifting and elusive. Ashbery's use of vivid imagery and shifting scenes creates a dreamlike quality that invites the reader to ponder the deeper implications of perception, memory, and existence. POEM TEXT: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/1987/02/12/never-to-get-it-really-right/
| Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...CLASS SONG (WHICH WILL BE SUNG ON THE 22ND OF FEBRUARY) by GEORGE SANTAYANA BIRCH STREAM by ANNA BOYNTON AVERILL THE LIGHT'OOD FIRE by JOHN HENRY BONER COWLEY: THE GARDEN by ALEXANDER POPE BALLADE OF A TRAVELLER'S JINX by FRANKLIN PIERCE ADAMS CHOEPHOROI: INVOCATION OF AGAMEMNON'S GHOST by AESCHYLUS AUTUMN AND SPRING by JULIA COOLEY ALTROCCHI PEARLS OF THE FAITH: 80, 81. GHAFOOR, MUNTAKIM by EDWIN ARNOLD |
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