Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Mary Cornish’s “Restoration” explores themes of destruction, divine intervention, and the meticulous, painstaking work of restoration as an act of faith and devotion. By intertwining the catastrophic flooding of Florence with the speaker’s personal experience of restoration, Cornish meditates on humanity’s response to loss, the resilience of art and spirit, and the intimate, almost sacred labor involved in preserving beauty.

The poem begins with the inevitability of disaster: “Everyone knew the water would rise, / but nobody knew how much.” This opening sets a tone of resignation, underscored by the priest’s assertion that “God / will not flood the church.” The juxtaposition between human confidence and divine action is sharply illustrated when the Arno River floods, symbolizing God entering “as a river.” Cornish’s depiction of the flood is both literal and symbolic—water becomes a divine force, sweeping through Florence and leaving its indelible mark “high / above the altar.” The water’s destruction is framed as a form of divine intervention, a message to humanity: “You are all my children.” This declaration universalizes the event, transforming it into a parable about vulnerability, interconnectedness, and the need for humility before forces beyond human control.

The imagery in this section is strikingly tactile and visceral. God’s presence is embodied in the “sludge” of the river, which invades “cars and cradles,” and even penetrates the “eyes of marble statues.” This imagery emphasizes the all-encompassing nature of the flood, its capacity to render sacred and mundane objects alike susceptible to decay and transformation. The reference to the “Doors of Paradise,” the famous gilded panels of Florence’s Baptistery, heightens the sense of cultural and spiritual loss. Yet, even in destruction, there is renewal. Cornish describes how the faces of saints, marked by “clouds of salted crystals,” appear as if they “had been resurrected.” This paradox of decay and resurrection underscores the central theme of restoration: loss and renewal are inextricably linked.

In the second half of the poem, Cornish shifts from the grand narrative of the flood to the speaker’s personal experience of restoration. The transition from the collective to the individual mirrors the process of piecing together fragments after disaster, one small act at a time. The speaker recounts their solitary labor in a “small room near San Marco,” painting “squares of blue on gessoed boards.” The specificity of this work—mixing cobalt blue with “madder rose” and “viridian”—contrasts with the overwhelming scale of the flood’s destruction, highlighting the painstaking precision required to restore what was lost. The inclusion of “pure pigments” and the “strained yolk of an egg” evokes the traditional techniques of fresco painting, emphasizing the historical and cultural continuity that restoration seeks to preserve.

The speaker’s lack of understanding about the ultimate purpose of their work—“I never asked / to what end I was doing what I did, and now / I’ll never know”—reflects the humility inherent in acts of restoration. The work is not about personal glory or comprehension but about contributing to something larger and more enduring. This humility is mirrored in the speaker’s focus on “the possibilities of blue,” a color rich with symbolic and emotional resonance. Blue evokes the heavens, water, and the infinite, serving as a reminder of the divine presence that permeates the poem.

Cornish concludes with a reflection on how “God enters.” The ambiguity of this statement encapsulates the dual nature of the divine in the poem: God is both the force behind the destruction and the inspiration for restoration. The meticulous labor of recreating shades of blue becomes an act of faith, a way of making sense of the chaos and reaffirming humanity’s capacity to create meaning and beauty in the aftermath of loss.

“Restoration” is ultimately a meditation on the interplay between destruction and renewal, art and faith. Cornish’s vivid imagery and contemplative tone invite readers to consider the ways in which loss can lead to transformation, and how the labor of restoration—whether of art, faith, or memory—is an essential part of the human response to disaster. By connecting the universal experience of loss with the intimate, detailed process of restoration, Cornish offers a profound reflection on resilience and the enduring power of art to sustain and heal.

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