Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Pastilles for the Voyage" by John Ashbery is a poem that exemplifies his signature style of blending the surreal with the mundane, creating a tapestry of images and ideas that challenges the reader’s perceptions. The poem's title suggests a preparation for a journey, with "pastilles" being small medicinal or confectionery items, perhaps symbolizing small nuggets of wisdom or comfort for the road ahead.

The poem opens with a reference to spring, a season often associated with renewal and change, yet the speaker immediately undercuts this with ambivalence ("it matters a little, / or not"). This sets the tone for the poem – a journey through a landscape of uncertainty and shifting perspectives.

The image of people running to their cars, "shoving / old ladies out of the way," paints a picture of a world in a hurry, indifferent to others. The speaker's address to a "dude" suggests a casual, conversational tone, juxtaposing the frenetic scene with a more relaxed attitude.

The mention of "the Ages" as a repository for "miscellaneous record-keeping" introduces a theme of history and memory, perhaps suggesting that our actions and experiences, however trivial, are part of a larger tapestry of human existence. This idea is expanded with the whimsical image of a "dung-beetle / who was convinced he could tap dance," blending the absurd with the poetic, a hallmark of Ashbery's style.

The speaker's encounter with familiar figures from his past, including "the grocer’s boy," suggests a reflection on the passage of time and the persistence of memory. The "amorphous crowd in black T-shirts" represents the faceless, nameless masses of contemporary society, perhaps commenting on the loss of individuality in the modern world.

The poem concludes with a poignant, almost existential reflection: "If only I could get the tears out of my eyes it would be raining now." This line conveys a sense of personal sorrow that is inextricable from the world's larger woes. The speaker’s desire to try "the new, fluid approach" indicates a willingness to adapt and find new ways of understanding and engaging with the world.

Overall, "Pastilles for the Voyage" is a meditation on the journey of life, filled with Ashbery's characteristic blend of humor, pathos, and philosophical musing. The poem invites readers to embrace the complexity and absurdity of life, to find meaning in the disjointed narratives of our experiences.

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