Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

John Ashbery’s poem "Whatever It Is, Wherever You Are" navigates through a rich tapestry of introspection, memory, and existential reflection, encapsulating the intricate dance between past, present, and future. Ashbery, renowned for his complex and layered verse, here explores the theme of inheritance—genetic, cultural, and emotional—and the ways in which it shapes, confines, and enlightens our journey through life.

The poem opens with a contemplation of the cross-hatching technique, a metaphor for the genetic and cultural legacies passed down through generations. This technique, which once ensured survival and diversity, now seems to leave the speaker and their contemporaries in a state of existential stasis, questioning the value of solitude and inherited paths. The imagery of the "ebony hands of the clock" marking the same hour captures the feeling of time standing still, despite the constant, subtle changes that feed life's undercurrents, much like an "underground stream."

Ashbery evokes nostalgia for the simplicity of youth, a time when escape and rebellion were as easy as going "out back" to smoke and "fool around." Yet, this yearning is met with the realization that adulthood has encased them in the very realm of freedom they once sought to escape. The assertion that "We are 'out in back'" and that "No one has ever used the front door" suggests a life lived in the margins, away from the conventional entrances and exits, yet paradoxically trapped within them.

The poem then delves into the expectations set by predecessors and the disillusionment of not reaching the anticipated vantage point "from the tree." Instead of gaining a "breathtaking" perspective, adulthood offers a view "only down," a metaphor for the grounding and sometimes disappointing reality that comes with maturity.

Ashbery questions the purpose of the ancestral legacy, the "cross-hatch" that has both enriched and ensnared. This inheritance is likened to a "luminous surface" transformed into quicksand, a "Slough of Despond," where certainty and despondency intertwine. The poet muses on whether the intent was simply to enjoy the ephemeral pleasures of life, such as "late summer evenings," or if there was something deeper, a connection to the past that both illuminates and obscures.

The poem reflects on the fleeting nature of genetic memory and the elusive connections to ancestry, where moments of recognition flash like the "yellow of the tulip" only to become "useless as all subtracted memories." These brief glimpses of connection offer certainty without enlightenment, leaving the speaker to ponder the unnamed longing of previous generations.

In its closing passages, "Whatever It Is, Wherever You Are" transforms into a meditation on acceptance and the recognition of shared humanity. The "old photograph" serves as a conduit for confronting the self and its place within the continuum of existence. The direct "light" that the speaker once feared to accept is now fully embraced, revealing a kinship with an ancestral "brother, an equal." This acceptance dissolves barriers of suspicion and self-loathing, integrating the speaker into the "good-natured circle" of their forebears.

Ashbery’s poem is a profound exploration of identity, legacy, and the human condition. Through intricate imagery and philosophical inquiry, he invites readers to consider the ways in which our pasts inform our present and how acceptance can lead to a deeper understanding of our place in the world. "Whatever It Is, Wherever You Are" stands as a testament to the complexity of life's journey, the search for meaning, and the power of connection across the chasms of time and self-doubt.

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