Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Old House in the Country" by John Ashbery is a poem that intricately weaves together themes of memory, history, and the passage of time within the setting of an old house. The poem creates an atmosphere of nostalgia mixed with a certain surreal quality, characteristic of Ashbery's style.

The poem opens with a mundane conversation about the temperature in the room, immediately grounding the reader in a tangible setting. However, the conversation quickly shifts to more abstract topics such as statuary, gizzards, and buzzards. This shift from the ordinary to the peculiar sets the tone for the rest of the poem, highlighting the layers of history and memory that permeate the old house.

The mention of "ancient blizzards" evokes a sense of the past invading the present, suggesting that the house is not just a physical structure but a repository of memories and histories. The line "gizzards breed sapience" is particularly striking, suggesting a connection between the visceral and the intellectual, the primal and the enlightened. This juxtaposition of seemingly unrelated elements is typical of Ashbery's work and invites the reader to find coherence in the incoherent.

The dialogue between the speaker and an unnamed interlocutor adds a dynamic layer to the poem. The line “Now is the time for escape, you fool” introduces a sense of urgency and perhaps a desire to break free from the constraints of the past or the confinements of the old house. However, this desire for escape is contrasted with the longing to return, as expressed in the line “I suppose it’s that I want to go back, really...” This tension between wanting to leave and wanting to return underscores the complex relationship we often have with our past and our origins.

The setting of the tea-things by Biddy, a seemingly minor detail, adds a domestic, almost comforting element to the poem, contrasting with the more abstract and existential themes. It grounds the poem in the ordinary, amidst the philosophical musings and surreal imagery.

Overall, "Old House in the Country" is a richly layered poem that explores the complex interplay between past and present, memory and reality. Ashbery's distinctive style, with its abrupt shifts in tone and subject matter, challenges the reader to find meaning in the juxtaposition of the ordinary and the extraordinary, the mundane and the surreal. The poem invites us to reflect on our own relationships with places imbued with history and memory, and how these relationships shape our understanding of ourselves and our place in the world.

Copyright (c) 2025 PoetryExplorer

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...