Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Forrest Gander's poem "Pastoral" employs a reflective and meditative style to explore the themes of perception, time, and presence. The poem intricately weaves together the experience of the present moment with the cognitive process of looking and understanding, utilizing a rich tapestry of language and structure to delve into the complexities of human perception.

The poem begins with a direct and intimate moment: "Together, / you / standing / before me before / the picture / window, my arms / around you, our / eyes pitched / beyond our / reflections into—". This opening places the reader immediately in the scene, creating a sense of closeness and immediacy. The use of the picture window serves as both a literal and metaphorical device, framing the scene while also symbolizing the barrier between the internal world of the self and the external world.

Gander then shifts into a parenthetical reflection on the act of looking: "(“into,” I’d / written, as / though there / swung at the end / of a tunnel, / a passage dotted / with endless / points of / arrival, as / though our gaze / started just outside / our faces and / corkscrewed its way / toward the horizon, / processual, / as if looking / took time to happen / and weren’t / instantaneous, / offered whole in / one gesture / before we / ask, before our / will, as if the far / Sonoma mountains / weren’t equally ready / to be beheld as / the dead / fly on the sill)—". This passage is densely packed with imagery and contemplative thought. The repetition of "as though" creates a recursive and reflective quality, emphasizing the complexity and layers of perception. The notion of the gaze as "processual" suggests that seeing is not an immediate action but rather a journey, a "corkscrew" motion that takes time and unfolds progressively.

The juxtaposition of grand natural scenery, "the far / Sonoma mountains," with the mundane and insignificant, "the dead / fly on the sill," underscores the poem's exploration of how all elements of the visual field are equally available to be perceived, challenging the reader to reconsider the hierarchy of attention and significance.

The poem concludes with a return to the immediate and tangible: "the distance, a / broad hill of / bright mustard flowers / the morning light / coaxes open." This image brings the reader back to the present moment, grounding the abstract musings in a vivid and sensory-rich scene. The "broad hill of / bright mustard flowers" is an image of natural beauty and renewal, suggesting a moment of clarity and revelation brought on by the "morning light."

Gander's use of enjambment and free verse allows for a fluid and dynamic reading experience, mirroring the continuous and evolving nature of perception described in the poem. The structure, with its interspersed reflections and vivid descriptions, effectively captures the interplay between thought and observation.

In "Pastoral," Gander successfully creates a layered and contemplative meditation on the act of seeing. Through his intricate language and thoughtful structure, he invites the reader to consider the depths and complexities of perception, reminding us that every moment of looking is both an arrival and a journey, a process that engages our minds as much as our eyes. The poem's blend of intimate imagery and philosophical reflection makes it a profound exploration of how we experience the world around us.

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