Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

John Ashbery's poem "Polite Distortions" is a complex exploration of perception, memory, and the fluidity of narrative. Known for his abstract and often challenging style, Ashbery weaves a tapestry of images and ideas that invite the reader to contemplate the ever-changing nature of stories, experiences, and understanding.

The poem opens with the metaphor of a "conning tower," typically a part of a submarine, issuing "conflicting bulletins." This imagery suggests a source of guidance or control that is, paradoxically, unreliable or inconsistent. The statement "Profligate is profligate" introduces a theme of inevitable characteristics or behaviors, which the speaker seems to desire to hear "into the silence of inertia," suggesting a craving for certainty or stability amidst uncertainty.

The focus on how "the same old story is different / With each new telling" captures the essence of human narrative: the way stories evolve and change over time, influenced by who tells them and the context in which they are recounted. The absence of children, typically seen as challengers or questioners, implies an unchallenged narrative that still varies with each iteration.

The description of steps leading "to a warmer place where there is nothing to notice / Or everything to escape notice" evokes a sense of ambiguity and selective perception. This could symbolize a mental or emotional retreat where details are either overlooked or intensely scrutinized.

Ashbery's imagery of a landscape with "tractor obbligato" and the sway of everything to a unified sense introduces the theme of harmony between human activity and nature, yet this harmony is underscored by a sense of passivity or resignation.

The metaphor of being released "from the clothes of day" and an "invisible valet" taking each piece away speaks to the shedding of daily concerns and identities, possibly in preparation for introspection or a more authentic self.

The poem then delves into a contemplation of "the laundry / Of our thinking," spread out and exposed, yet not overly tempting with "the long shadows of causality." This could reflect a desire to understand or analyze thoughts and experiences without becoming overwhelmed by their implications or connections.

The reference to the nursery rhyme "Jack and Jill" within the context of determinism humorously underscores the inevitability and predictability of certain outcomes.

The exhortation to "review, always to review" suggests the importance of reflection and reevaluation, of seeing the past with new insights and understanding the interplay between old and new experiences.

The closing lines, pondering the "violet flood of embarrassment or pure / Terror," the transient nature of profligacy, and the eventual takeover by others who "will not care to speak much about it," speak to the transient and often inconsequential nature of human concerns and narratives.

"Polite Distortions" is a thought-provoking poem that invites readers to ponder the complexities of perception, the evolution of stories and memories, and the subtle shifts in understanding that occur over time. Ashbery’s use of vivid imagery and layered meanings creates a narrative that resonates with the impermanence and fluidity of the human experience.

POEM TEXT:

https://www.google.com/books/edition/April_Galleons/tip5BAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22In+the+presence+of+both,+each+mistook%22+ashbery&pg=PT92&printsec=frontcover

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