Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Lawrence Durrell's poem "Style" is a contemplation on the elusive nature of artistic style, particularly in writing, and the quest for a form that is both precise and powerful. Durrell uses natural imagery to explore the qualities he seeks in style, ultimately favoring something sharp and understated over more grandiose metaphors.

The poem opens with a comparison of style to the sea: "Something like the sea, / Unlaboured momentum of water / But going somewhere, / Building and subsiding." Here, Durrell captures the fluidity and natural movement of the sea, which has its own rhythm and direction, effortlessly moving and shaping the world around it. However, he quickly notes that while the sea has "momentum," it is "the busy one, the loveless." This suggests that the sea, while powerful and expansive, lacks the depth of emotion or the subtlety that Durrell seeks in his writing.

Next, Durrell likens style to the wind, "that slits / Forests from end to end, / Inspiriting vast audiences, / Ovations of leafy hands / Accepting, accepting." The wind is portrayed as a force that moves through nature with great energy, inspiring and stirring all in its path. The "ovations of leafy hands" suggest that the wind has a certain grandeur, capable of commanding attention and admiration. Yet, Durrell implies that this, too, falls short of the refined quality he desires in his style, as it may be too broad and forceful.

The poet then rejects these grand natural forces, stating, "But neither is yet / Fine enough for the line I hunt." This line reveals Durrell's pursuit of something more delicate and precise, something that can cut through with subtlety rather than overwhelming force. He turns to the "dry bony blade of the / Sword-grass" as a metaphor for the style he seeks. Sword-grass, a plant known for its sharp edges, embodies a certain lethal precision. It is an "assassin of polish," a phrase that conveys both its deadly effectiveness and its refined, almost elegant danger.

Durrell continues to describe the sword-grass as having "Such a bite of perfect temper / As unwary fingers provoke," indicating that this style is one that does not reveal its power immediately. The sharpness of the sword-grass is not felt until "later," when the unwary person notices "the thread / Of blood from its unfelt stroke." This delayed realization reflects the subtlety and restraint Durrell values in writing—a style that is not overtly flashy or forceful, but one that leaves a lasting impact, cutting deep without immediate recognition.

In "Style," Durrell explores the characteristics of various natural forces to articulate his ideal of literary style. He ultimately favors a style that is sharp, precise, and understated—like the sword-grass—over the more obvious power of the sea or wind. The poem reflects Durrell's belief that the most effective writing is not necessarily the most grandiose, but rather the most finely honed, capable of making a deep and lasting impression with minimal effort. This quest for the "bite of perfect temper" in style is a testament to the power of subtlety and precision in art.

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