Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Plush of a Negative Cat" by Clark Coolidge is a vivid, abstract exploration of perception, memory, and the interplay between the sensory and the intellectual. Through a series of disjointed images and references, Coolidge constructs a poem that feels both deeply personal and universally elusive, challenging readers to find coherence within chaos.

The poem opens with "Blackened fingers on the sterling rug," immediately evoking a sense of contrast and tactile sensation that sets the tone for the poem's exploration of touch, sight, and other senses. The mention of "frottage by the stump" introduces a surrealist technique that involves creating art by rubbing a surface to capture its texture, suggesting a process of discovery and creation that relies on the physical interaction with the world.

The reference to "Hans Dustin and too many other Hoffmans" could be an allusion to figures real or imagined, contributing to the poem's atmosphere of crowded thoughts or influences, where the speaker feels overwhelmed by the presence or legacy of others. The mention of "lemon verbena mainly" amidst this confusion adds a layer of sensory experience, grounding the abstract in the concrete and familiar.

Coolidge's line "imagine all this waiting on one tortured sickness" hints at an underlying narrative of anticipation or dread, perhaps related to illness or existential angst, while "zoomer babies without the frame" suggests a generation or group of beings uncontained by traditional structures or expectations.

The phrase "the title the madness in a boobie's eyes" evokes a sense of wildness or unbridled emotion, further complicating the poem's exploration of perception and understanding. The use of "scusa?" introduces a moment of questioning or interruption, breaking the flow of images with a request for clarification or forgiveness.

"Sparks from Saratoga the scriptures snowing" blends historical or geographical references with a surreal image of snowing scriptures, suggesting a collision of past and present, the sacred and the mundane. The speaker's admission "I'll never be able to read without turpentine / without stopping to dry my eyes" speaks to a process of reading—or experiencing life—that is both painful and purifying, requiring pauses for reflection and recovery.

The final lines, "Saint Bartholomew and the Oobleck standing / hard by Barstow and still pushing," mix religious iconography with Dr. Seuss's fictional "oobleck" and a real location (Barstow), creating an image of perseverance and strangeness. This concluding image encapsulates the poem's blend of the bizarre with the earnest, suggesting an ongoing struggle or journey amidst a landscape filled with the peculiar and the profound.

"Plush of a Negative Cat" is emblematic of Coolidge's capacity to weave together disparate threads of thought, sensation, and reference into a tapestry that is both enigmatic and engaging. The poem invites readers into a space where the lines between sense and nonsense, clarity and obscurity, are blurred, challenging us to find meaning in the interstices of language and experience.

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