Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Variations, Calypso and Fugue on a Theme of Ella Wheeler Wilcox" by John Ashbery unfolds as a tapestry of reflections, interweaving motifs from Ella Wheeler Wilcox's optimistic lines about the influence of individual actions on the collective good, with Ashbery's own complex and nuanced musings on life, memory, and the passage of time. The poem initiates with a quotation from Wilcox, suggesting the foundational theme of interconnectedness and the ripple effect of single deeds across the expanse of humanity and time. Ashbery then navigates through this premise with a blend of personal anecdote, cultural references, and philosophical introspection, crafting a multifaceted exploration of human experience.

At the heart of Ashbery's poem lies the juxtaposition between the idealism encapsulated in Wilcox's lines and the often harsh realities of life. The imagery of a tree, under which one finds pleasure, peace, and protection, symbolizes the nurturing aspect of nature and perhaps, by extension, the comforting illusions of youth and innocence. This tree serves as a metaphorical anchor for the poem's various digressions and thematic explorations, embodying the notion of a singular, stabilizing force in the face of life's unpredictability and the inevitability of change.

The poem's structure, which mimics a musical variation with its shifts in tone, perspective, and theme, mirrors the complexity of human emotion and the layered quality of memory. Ashbery's reference to "Im wunderschönen Monat Mai," a song from Robert Schumann's "Dichterliebe," underscores the poem's engagement with themes of longing, beauty, and the transience of love, linking personal emotion with broader artistic and cultural expressions.

As the poem unfolds, Ashbery delves into the transition from youth to adulthood, from the idyllic to the realistic, marking this journey with a sense of both loss and discovery. The notion that "all good things must come to an end" reflects a resignation to the cycles of life, where endings and beginnings are inextricably linked. The poet's contemplation of growing old, of moving "Into the space left by one's conclusions," captures the bittersweet recognition of life's impermanence and the evolution of the self.

In its later stanzas, the poem takes on a more introspective and existential tone, questioning the reality and substance of past experiences. The metaphor of the tree shriveling in extreme heat, with acorns lying like discarded memories, evokes a sense of desolation and disillusionment, contrasting sharply with the earlier images of shelter and abundance. This shift suggests a recognition of the inevitable disillusionment that accompanies aging and the loss of innocence.

Ashbery's reflections on his travels and the sights he has seen serve to contextualize the personal within the global, highlighting the rich tapestry of human experience while also pointing to a return to the familiar, to home, as the ultimate destination. This return is not just a physical one but a philosophical and emotional journey back to the core of one's being, to a place of inherent truth and comfort, symbolized by the "green earth's rug."

The poem concludes with a meditation on the nature of art, truth, and selfhood, urging the reader to act according to their own creative impulses and convictions. The acknowledgment that the dream may never come true, yet advocating for its pursuit nonetheless, encapsulates the poem's embrace of life's paradoxes and uncertainties. Ashbery's work, thus, emerges as a profound contemplation on the intersections between personal history, cultural memory, and the existential quest for meaning and belonging.

Through "Variations, Calypso and Fugue on a Theme of Ella Wheeler Wilcox," Ashbery crafts a richly layered narrative that weaves together the personal and the universal, the ephemeral and the eternal, inviting the reader to reflect on the interplay between memory, reality, and the imagination. In doing so, he offers a poignant meditation on the human condition, marked by its complexities, its joys, and its inevitable sorrows.

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