Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Ivory Tower" by John Ashbery is a contemplative poem that delves into themes of time, individuality, and the complex nature of human experience. The poem begins with the notion of another season, suggesting the continual passage of time and its impact on human life. This seasonal change is coupled with the idea of a "name and a distant resolution," implying that with each new phase of life comes a new identity and a set of goals or resolutions that often remain elusive or distant.

Ashbery employs the metaphor of the wind to represent the all-encompassing nature of human attention and consciousness. Just as the wind touches everything in its path, human awareness and thoughts pervade every aspect of our lives. The "thirsting ears" and "climbers on what rickety heights" suggest a striving for knowledge or understanding, yet this quest is precarious and uncertain, much like climbing a fragile structure.

The speaker then addresses the solitude of the human condition, asserting that each person stands alone in their perception and experience of time. This solitude is intrinsic to the human experience, and it is within this "empty cell of time" that individuals grapple with their existence and purpose.

Ashbery brings in the concept of a "mysterious creeping motion" that elicits excitement and tears. This could symbolize the slow and often unnoticed changes that occur within us and around us, which can evoke strong emotional responses when finally recognized.

The poem also touches on the struggle to reconcile with one's innocence and past. The "backward innocence" implies a nostalgia or longing for a simpler, more naive state of being. However, the poem suggests that this innocence is part of a larger, impure whole that must be accepted and integrated into one's understanding of self.

The final stanza introduces the image of a "porch built on pilings, far out over the sand," evoking a sense of isolation and detachment, yet also a vantage point from which to observe and reflect. The indifference to the "wrong order" of deaths signifies a resignation to the unpredictability and uncontrollability of life events. The poem concludes with the realization that life, with its routines and activities ("play, the streets, shopping, time flying"), ultimately finds its own order and meaning.

"Ivory Tower" is a rich and introspective poem that explores the complexities of human consciousness, the inevitability of change, and the search for meaning in the midst of life's uncertainties. Ashbery's use of vivid imagery and metaphor invites readers to reflect on their own experiences of time, identity, and the solitary journey of understanding one's place in the world.

POEM TEXT: https://edisciplinas.usp.br/pluginfile.php/4105294/mod_resource/content/1/JOHN%20ASHBERY%20SELECTED%20POEMS.pdf

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