Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Household" by Robert Duncan is a richly metaphorical poem that explores the theme of community and individual roles within it, using the concept of a musical ensemble to illustrate the dynamic interplay of voices and responsibilities. The poem suggests that each member of a household, and by extension a community, contributes to a larger, harmonious composition, where personal and communal identities are interwoven.

The poem begins with the notion of the "household" as a space that provides shelter and facilitates the well-being of its members, even amidst "atonality," a term borrowed from music that refers to compositions that lack a key or tonal center. This metaphor suggests that even in times of uncertainty and lack of clear direction, the household continues to rearrange and adjust ("rearrangements of atonement"), finding new ways to create harmony and balance ("daily new keys in dreams").

Duncan uses the metaphor of music to deepen the exploration of communal living: "Let us call each voice, his or hers, 'He' that leads in the rehearsal, and 'She', the Matrix or Praxis the potentiality of Music rests in." Here, "He" and "She" are not just gendered roles but represent leading and supporting functions in creating music, or living harmoniously. "She" as the "Matrix or Praxis" suggests a foundational, formative role in the potentiality of music, highlighting the creative and sustaining contributions typically associated with feminine aspects in a household or community.

The description of the household as a "choral cantata in the Men’s House" and the imagery of a river from which the leader takes his cue further emphasize the communal aspect of music and living. Everyone is metaphorically singing together, supporting one another’s "welfaring" within the shared space of their community, echoing the collaborative nature of a choir.

As the poem progresses, Duncan extends the metaphor to the entire neighborhood, envisioning it as a place where every action and interaction contributes to a collective melody that spreads from households to streets and public spaces ("leading from the houses into the streets and courts, a melodious thoroughfare"). This vision of communal life as a song or a piece of music suggests that each individual’s actions and choices resonate throughout the community, influencing and shaping the communal experience.

The reference to Dante’s "De Vulgari Eloquentia" towards the end of the poem reinforces the theme of linguistic and poetic flexibility and diversity within a structured form. Just as Dante speaks of using a variety of rhymes and licenses in poetry for the sake of "the sweetness of the whole harmony," Duncan implies that a community thrives on the variety and individuality of its members, each contributing uniquely to the overall harmony.

In the closing lines, Duncan reflects on the balance of "smooth and rough in one texture," suggesting that a community, like a piece of tragic art, requires a mixture of experiences and narratives to gain depth and brilliance. The idea that "Art may yet claim for itself in the local grand exceptions" implies that within every community, there are extraordinary stories and characters, much like in a great work of art.

Overall, "Household" is a philosophical and lyrical meditation on the ways individuals come together to form a coherent, dynamic community, much like musicians in an orchestra or singers in a choir, each playing a part in the larger composition of social and communal life.

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