Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Folly" by Henri Cole is set against the backdrop of the Doria Pamphili garden, a scene that juxtaposes the grandeur of historical and mythical representations with the encroachment of nature's wild, uncontrolled elements. Through vivid imagery and contrasting themes, Cole crafts a narrative that delves into the cycles of creation and destruction, the fragility of human constructs in the face of nature's indomitable will, and the personal reflections evoked by this interplay.

The poem opens with a depiction of the garden's state of decay and neglect: granite niches empty, the desecration of male gods and the Great Mother, Hera, headless. This imagery of dilapidation and loss sets a tone of melancholy and reflects on the impermanence of human achievements and the inevitable return to nature. The reference to the gods, stripped of their defining attributes, serves as a metaphor for the loss of identity and power, echoing the broader theme of decay and the erosion of cultural and personal legacies.

The introduction of nutria into the ecosystem of Pope Innocent X's pleasure garden signifies an intrusion of chaotic natural forces into a space designed for human enjoyment and order. Described with "webbed hind feet, blunt muzzled heads and long orange incisors," the nutria embody the disruptive and destructive aspects of nature, undermining the garden's artificial tranquility and contributing to its ruin. This clash between the manicured garden and the invasive species illustrates the folly of believing in the enduring supremacy of human-made structures over nature.

Describing the nutria's movement as a "criminal trot" and their approach toward the "ecclesiastical wings" of the swans furthers the theme of an impending violation or desecration. The swans, with their "handsome" appearance, stand as symbols of purity and grace, oblivious to the threat posed by the nutria. This tension between beauty and brutality, the sacred and the profane, underscores the poem's exploration of innocence and corruption, creation and destruction.

The repeated visits to the garden and the observation of the sky's "Della Robbia blue" suggest a contemplation of beauty and decay, a meditation on the cycles of life and death. The comparison of a swan, "immaculate and self-possessed," to an ambulance carrying the speaker's "half-dead Mother" introduces a deeply personal dimension to the poem. This juxtaposition of the swan's elegance with the vulnerability of human life and the impending loss of the speaker's mother adds layers of meaning to the narrative, bridging the gap between the personal and the universal.

The concluding imagery of nutria, "hankering" after the cygnet eggs and their "bloody embryos," juxtaposed with the memory of the mother's "plush gray fur" coat, melds the themes of predation, loss, and memory. The cycle of life, with its inherent violence and beauty, is reflected in the personal recollection of maternal love and the impending grief of loss.

"Folly" is a multifaceted poem that weaves together themes of environmental disruption, the transience of human achievements, the beauty and brutality of nature, and personal reflections on life, death, and memory. Henri Cole uses the backdrop of the Doria Pamphili garden as a canvas to explore these complex themes, offering a meditation on the interplay between the natural world and human experience, and the indelible marks they leave on each other and on the individual psyche.

POEM TEXT: https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Visible_Man/r2zfAwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1

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