Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Barcarole" by Clayton Eshleman is a dense, lyrical poem that merges the celestial with the chthonic, weaving a complex tapestry of images that draw from nature, mythology, and a deep sense of place. Set against the backdrop of Les Eyzies, a region rich in prehistoric art and archaeological significance, the poem traverses the boundaries between the earth and the sky, life and death, beauty and decay.

The poem opens with a vivid description of the sky, painted in a spectrum of blues—"lead-blue, enamel-blue, azure, baby-blue, milk-blue"—which provides a stark contrast to the dark, underground elements that follow. The "stuff moving in the near still whiteness going grey behind the blue bands" suggests a dynamic, almost living sky, animated yet overshadowed by the encroaching darkness. This imagery sets the stage for a poem that continually plays with light and shadow, visibility and obscurity.

The mention of "no pink or rose-that is all below in black widow concentration as cave cul-de-sacs still discharge gas" introduces a shift from the ethereal to the earthly and possibly toxic. The reference to caves discharging gas and the subsequent questions—"is the devil such a discharge? mephitic Mephistopheles?"—introduce a layer of menace and decay, linking the natural processes of the earth with mythological and demonic imagery, suggesting that the underworld is not just a place of myth but a real, tangible presence influencing the world above.

Eshleman's use of complex metaphors, such as "the scimitar-weave of an allness, bugs and moles on the möbius-strip of generational push," portrays nature as an intricate, interwoven system of life and death, continuously cycling through generations. This imagery of endless cycles is both beautiful and unsettling, as it encapsulates the relentless push of life against the inevitability of death, symbolized by "deathrow in seedrow."

Hades is personified vividly, depicted as "a colobus satanas peering through the stork-hived foliage," blending the imagery of the Greek god of the underworld with that of a demonic creature, further enriched by the mention of Hecate, another figure from mythology often associated with magic and the underworld. This mythological layering adds depth to the poem's exploration of life, death, and the natural cycle, with the characters wearing disguises that blur their identities and roles.

The final lines of the poem, "The fragile electricity mammality bears peaks and subsides, finding correspondence in chestnut leaf towers bushy in the sprinkly atmosphere," bring us back to a more immediate, less mythologically heavy observation of nature. Yet, this observation is imbued with the energy and the transience that characterized earlier descriptions. The mention of "Ruins swarm with the veil of romantic poignancy," captures the allure of decay and the passage of time, reminding us that what charms us also holds the power to terrify, a fitting encapsulation of the poem's interplay between the beautiful and the sublime, the enchanting and the horrifying.

"Barcarole" is a poem that challenges the reader to contemplate the interconnectedness of the visible and invisible forces that shape our understanding of the world, drawing upon a wide range of cultural, mythological, and natural imagery to craft a narrative that is both universal and intensely personal.

POEM TEXT: https://www.google.com/books/edition/From_Scratch/gaRq3n32fBUC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=BARCAROLE

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