Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Suite for Augustus: Back" by Rita Dove is a reflective and poignant poem that delves into themes of travel, distance, and the elusive nature of personal connections. The poem juxtaposes the speaker's academic and cultural journeys with another's military or work-related travels, exploring the intersections and divergences of their paths.

The opening line, "Three years too late, I'm scholarshipped to Europe and back," immediately introduces a sense of regret or missed opportunity. The phrase "three years too late" suggests that the journey, although enriching, might have come at a time when its impact or its ability to change certain outcomes has diminished. The mention of a scholarship implies an academic or cultural pursuit, contrasting sharply with the different type of journey undertaken by the other person mentioned in the poem.

"Four years, a language later, and your 39th jet lands in Kuwait." This line shifts focus to another individual, whose experiences are markedly different. The precision of "your 39th jet" underscores a life of frequent travel, likely for military or business reasons, given the setting in Kuwait. The contrast between the speaker's scholarly pursuits and this person's more pragmatic or possibly conflict-related travel highlights different life paths and choices.

The details that follow—"Down through columns of khaki and ribbons, escorted at night by the radiance of oil fields"—paint a vivid picture of the other individual's environment. The military imagery ("columns of khaki and ribbons") and the "radiance of oil fields" suggest a life lived in starkly different circumstances, shaped by geopolitical realities and perhaps danger. The relaxation with "goat milk and scotch, no women, no maple trees" further emphasizes the cultural and environmental distance from what might be considered a more ordinary or peaceful life.

The speaker reflects on the personal impact of their travels: "This barnstorming that led no closer to you has stuffed my knees into violets, buried me in the emerald hearts of leaves." Here, "barnstorming" conveys a sense of frantic, aimless movement or travel, and despite the physical distance covered, it has not bridged the emotional or relational gap between the speaker and the person in Kuwait. The imagery of being "stuffed my knees into violets" and "buried me in the emerald hearts of leaves" suggests an overwhelming and perhaps suffocating immersion in the new environments encountered during these travels.

Finally, the poem concludes with, "They are like twenty-mark bills, soft dollars, they bring me back." This metaphor likens the speaker's experiences and memories to currency—valuable yet not entirely solid or reliable. These memories and experiences "bring me back," suggesting a return not only to a physical place but to a state of reflection or realization about the nature of their journey and its emotional consequences.

Overall, "Suite for Augustus: Back" by Rita Dove is a contemplative exploration of how travel can simultaneously connect us to and isolate us from our desires, people, and the places we long to find or return to. The poem captures the complexity of emotional geography, where physical distance and personal growth intersect with the paths we choose and those chosen for us.

POEM TEXT: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Collected_Poems_1974_2004/fRyZCgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1

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