Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Milano-Bruxelles," Lawrence Ferlinghetti takes the reader on a vivid journey through Europe, capturing the contrast between its natural beauty and its decay. Using rich imagery and metaphor, he provides a snapshot of a continent that is simultaneously lush and decadent, weaving historical and cultural undertones into the poem.

The poem opens with a striking visual of a "Lost train shunted through the Simplon Tunnel as through a telescope." The tunnel, one of the longest in the Alps, serves as a portal between contrasting worlds. The train emerges "out through the white peaks and on out over the burnt landscape," moving "Westward and North to the lowlands." The imagery of "white peaks" and a "burnt landscape" immediately juxtaposes purity and destruction, signaling the journey's thematic exploration of Europe's dual nature.

Ferlinghetti then focuses on the "lowlands," particularly the "Nederland underland." The wordplay between "Nederland" (Dutch for Netherlands) and "underland" evokes a sense of submersion and decline, suggesting an undercurrent of decay beneath the surface. An "image of decadent Europe flashed upon the train window" frames the poet's view of a continent struggling between beauty and corruption.

He uses a vivid and sensory description to convey this vision: "Land like old Camembert / bent houses, roofs like crusts / crenelated battlements / auto gravings / rusty sidings." Here, the comparison of Europe to "old Camembert" (a French cheese) suggests something that was once rich and flavorful but has now aged and softened. The "bent houses, roofs like crusts" reinforce the metaphor of decay, while "crenelated battlements" hint at Europe's historical grandeur, now crumbling. The "auto gravings" (a play on "engravings") and "rusty sidings" underscore the industrial decay that marks the landscape.

The phrase "freight ears from five countries run together" reflects the mingling of European economies and industries, where goods and influences from different nations blend indistinguishably. "Fleurs de fer fanées" (withered iron flowers) serves as a metaphor for the decline of industrial progress, contrasting the notion of beauty (flowers) with the coldness of iron.

Yet, amid this decay, Ferlinghetti also finds beauty and vitality: "But also the so-lush fields / deep lime-green meadows / full of huge brown cows." The "deep lime-green meadows" and "great rows of poplars blown over the horizon" offer a vision of Europe's fertile landscapes, where "small farms in the deep bosque" continue to thrive. This contrast between lush fields and industrial decay captures the dual nature of Europe's identity.

The poem concludes with a snapshot of Belgium, where "the stolid Belges descending at Mons / red cheeks and bouches gonflées / portmanteaux full of pork." The "stolid Belges" (Belgians) are portrayed with "red cheeks and bouches gonflées" (swollen mouths), suggesting contentment and prosperity. Their "portmanteaux full of pork" symbolizes both abundance and a simple, rustic lifestyle.

Overall, "Milano-Bruxelles" is a vivid and layered exploration of Europe, blending Ferlinghetti's impressions of beauty, decay, and cultural complexity. The journey through the Simplon Tunnel becomes a metaphor for the passage through contrasting worlds—mountains and lowlands, purity and decay, industry and nature. Ferlinghetti's imagery and linguistic play capture the richness and contradictions of Europe, creating a poem that resonates with historical, cultural, and environmental undertones.

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