Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

John Ashbery’s “Ice-Cream Wars” is a complex and multi-layered poem that intertwines themes of communication, perception, and the passage of time. Ashbery's style, characterized by its elusive, stream-of-consciousness flow, and its blending of the mundane with the surreal, is evident in this piece.

The poem begins with the speaker’s attempt to imbue meaning into an object, "its brushed-metal surface," suggesting a struggle to impart significance or understanding onto something possibly inanimate or unresponsive. This struggle sets the tone for a poem that grapples with the difficulties of communication and interpretation.

The reference to a "Japanese text" about a deeply personal and intimate human experience being seen as "among the most massive secretions of the human spirit" introduces the theme of cultural and subjective interpretation. This line implies a deep, perhaps unknowable richness in human experiences and creations, which may be lost or transformed when filtered through different perspectives or contexts. The line also highlights a depiction of a homosexual relationship, introducing themes of intimacy, love, and possibly the challenges of societal acceptance.

The imagery of the poem is vivid and often surreal, such as the "iron spikes of the fence" and the mixing of "red with blue." These images create a sense of a world that is both recognizable and alien, a hallmark of Ashbery's poetry. The poem's setting seems to shift and change, much like the weather and time it describes – at one moment tangible and clear, at another moment slanted and elusive.

The poem also touches on themes of conflict and misunderstanding, as seen in the lines about those who "seem reasonable are shouted down." This could be interpreted as a commentary on societal or personal conflicts, where reason and understanding are often overwhelmed by louder, more forceful voices.

The "few black smudges on the outer boulevards, like squashed midges" could symbolize how easily truths or realities can be obscured or dismissed. The poem concludes with the idea of "randomness" and "a darkness of one’s own," suggesting a personal, internal struggle with understanding and meaning-making. This ending leaves the reader with a sense of ambiguity and open-endedness, which is characteristic of Ashbery's poetry.

"Ice-Cream Wars," with its obscure references, shifting imagery, and exploration of perception, is a typical Ashbery poem that challenges the reader to find coherence in a seemingly disjointed world. It invites multiple interpretations, reflecting the complexities of human experience and understanding.

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