Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"First Book of Odes: 36" by Basil Bunting, penned in 1948, is a profound meditation on the nature of artistic creation, particularly the craft of poetry. Bunting employs the metaphor of a meticulously constructed mosaic to explore the essence and ultimate purpose of poetry, drawing parallels between the physical artistry of mosaics and the verbal artistry of poems. Through this rich imagery, Bunting delves into themes of unity, beauty, and transcendence, offering a reflection on the ineffable qualities of great art.

The poem opens with an invocation to "See!"—a call to visual and imaginative attention that prepares the reader for a journey into the conceptual landscape Bunting is about to unfold. He describes verses being "laid as mosaic" where "gold to gold gold to lapis lazuli white marble to porphyry" are joined seamlessly. This description not only evokes the beauty and richness of the materials themselves but also the skill and precision required to assemble them into a coherent whole. The absence of visible "cement" or "gap between stones" emphasizes the perfection of the fit, the completeness of the vision, and the harmony achieved by the poet in weaving words together.

The metaphor extends as the mosaic becomes architectural, with the "frieze strides to the impending apse," suggesting a grand design and purpose behind the arrangement of the verses. This movement towards the "apse," a focal point in church architecture, symbolizes the culmination of the poetic endeavor, where the disparate elements of the poem converge in a unity of meaning and effect.

Bunting then shifts from the tangible to the intangible, from the material to the spiritual, as he speaks of "the rays of many glories forced to its focus," culminating in a "glory neither of stone nor metal, neither of words nor verses." This glory, he suggests, transcends the physical and the literal, becoming a manifestation of something pure and luminous—"the light shining upon no substance." Here, Bunting reaches the heart of his meditation on art: the ultimate creation of poetry (and by extension, all art) is not the work itself but the ineffable, transcendent experience it evokes in the reader or viewer.

The poem concludes with the assertion that this intangible glory was the true purpose for which "all else was made," implying that the material elements of art, whether stone, metal, words, or verses, serve as vehicles for reaching beyond themselves. They are means to an end, that end being the illumination of the human spirit and the brief, shining revelation of truths that lie beyond the realm of physical manifestation.

"First Book of Odes: 36" is a testament to Bunting's deep reverence for the craft of poetry and his belief in the power of art to transcend its material origins. Through the extended metaphor of a mosaic, Bunting encapsulates the essence of artistic creation as an act of bringing together diverse elements to form a unified whole that resonates with a beauty and truth beyond its physical components. This ode is both a celebration of the poetic endeavor and a reminder of the lofty aims towards which all artists strive: to create works that illuminate, elevate, and ultimately transcend the limitations of their medium.

POEM TEXT: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47714/odes-36-see-their-verses-are-laid

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