Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

 
"Unusual Precautions" by John Ashbery delves into themes of existential contemplation, the boundaries of self, and the elusive nature of perception and experience. This poem, characterized by Ashbery's intricate use of language and imagery, invites readers into a reflective journey through the vicissitudes of life and the complexities of individual consciousness.

The opening lines, "We, we children, why our lives are circumscribed, circumferential; / Close, too close to the center, we are haunted by perimeters," introduce a meditation on the limitations and boundaries that define human existence. The repetition of "we" emphasizes a collective experience, suggesting a shared struggle against the constraints that both protect and confine. The imagery of being "too close to the center" yet "haunted by perimeters" captures the tension between the desire for freedom and the reality of constraints that shape our lives and perceptions.

The poem then explores the notion of lives moving "in and out, in and out all the time," evoking a sense of perpetual motion and the fluidity of existence. This motion, contrasted with the "diagonal, vertical, shallow" paths of others, suggests a diversity of experiences and perspectives that intersect and diverge in the journey of life.

Ashbery employs the metaphor of a "famous gadfly" whose voice is "chopped off / At the root," invoking the image of Socratic questioning and the pursuit of truth that is often silenced or marginalized. The gadfly, sitting "in the middle of the roadway," symbolizes the challenges and obstacles that confront those who seek to question and understand the world around them.

The poem's imagery shifts to a "brown desk" and a "blind, blossoming" grove, juxtaposing the mundane with the natural, the obscured with the flourishing. This contrast underscores the poem's exploration of visibility and obscurity, knowledge and ignorance, as we navigate the landscapes of our lives.

The reference to "watching a movie of a nightmare" and the girl who "juggled Indian clubs" further complicates the narrative, introducing elements of performance, illusion, and the disjunction between reality and representation. These images suggest the ways in which our experiences are mediated, distorted, or enhanced by the frames through which we perceive them.

As the poem concludes with the anticipation of "walking in a white park" and the eventual crossing of a street that bears one's name, Ashbery contemplates the intersections of identity, place, and destiny. The mention of "feet run up it" captures a moment of convergence, a point where the personal and the external world meet, suggesting the possibility of understanding or recognition amidst the perpetual motion and confusion of life.

"Unusual Precautions" is a richly layered poem that reflects on the constraints and possibilities of human experience, the search for meaning within the confines of existence, and the ways in which we navigate the known and unknown terrains of life. Through his masterful use of imagery and narrative ambiguity, Ashbery invites readers to ponder their own journeys, the boundaries that define them, and the moments of clarity or confusion that punctuate their understanding of the world.

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