Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

John Ashbery's "The Way They Took" is a poem that immerses readers in a world of introspective reflection, nuanced emotion, and vivid, sometimes jarring imagery. Ashbery, known for his ability to blend abstract thought with concrete detail, crafts a narrative that feels both deeply personal and universally resonant, exploring themes of connection, perception, and the fleeting nature of experience.

The poem opens with an image that is both intimate and obscure: "The green bars on you grew soberer / As I petted the lock, a crank / In my specially built shoes." This scene sets a tone of mysterious interaction, where the act of touching a lock with a crank in "specially built shoes" suggests a unique, perhaps idiosyncratic, approach to engaging with the world or another person. The reference to "green bars" growing "soberer" evokes a sense of restraint or confinement becoming more pronounced, yet the context remains tantalizingly elusive.

As the poem unfolds, Ashbery navigates through a landscape of memory and moment, where leisure and feeling are "hedged about" during a day that transitions into night. The passage of time is marked by "heads borne in peach vessels," a phrase that conjures images of fragility and transience, with the afternoon's questions leading to a state of contemplative silence or reflection.

The observation of "some other people," described as "huge husks of chattering boys / And girls unfathomable in lovely dresses," captures a sense of social spectacle and the complexity of human interactions. These figures, "remorseful and on the edge of darkness," embody the contradictions of youth and beauty tinged with sadness or regret, their external appearances belying deeper emotional currents.

Ashbery's mention of a "safe smile ebbing" amidst "tinkling sadness" and the sun's irreverent act of "pissing on a rock" juxtaposes the mundane with the profound, highlighting the poem's recurring theme of finding significance in the seemingly trivial or absurd aspects of life.

The speaker's reflection on coming "nearer / To what was on my shoulder" suggests a journey towards self-awareness or understanding, possibly influenced by observing the ordinary yet revealing scene of lunching "with a friend’s mother." This moment of realization about the "plebeian" nature of testimony and the desire for something more authentic or meaningful underscores the poem's exploration of aspiration versus reality.

Ashbery's contemplation of romantic idealism, whispered opinions, and the indifference of heaven to human love introduces a philosophical dimension to the poem, questioning the value and impact of personal emotions against the backdrop of a vast, uncaring universe.

The poem concludes with an enigmatic farewell, "So beware and / Bye now. The jewels are for luck," leaving readers with a sense of unresolved departure and the suggestion of protection or fortune in the form of "jewels." This ending encapsulates the poem's overall sense of navigating through life's complexities and uncertainties, armed with only the fragile hope of luck or fate.

"The Way They Took" is a testament to Ashbery's skill in weaving together disparate threads of thought, emotion, and imagery into a cohesive whole that challenges and engages the reader. Through its layered narrative and rich symbolic language, the poem invites reflection on the ways in which we perceive and move through the world, always in search of connection, meaning, and perhaps a touch of serendipity.

Copyright (c) 2025 PoetryExplorer

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...