Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"During an Absence," by Thom Gunn, reflects on the nuanced and often invisible obstacles to love in a modern context, contrasting it with the dramatic and picturesque barriers found in classic tales like that of Romeo and Juliet. Gunn's poem navigates the complexities of contemporary relationships, where love's challenges are less overtly theatrical but no less impactful.

The poem begins by acknowledging the outdated nature of traditional obstacles to love, such as "darkened stairs" and "mossy tombs." These elements belong to a bygone era of romantic tales, characterized by dramatic and physical impediments. Gunn contrasts this with the present, stating that "we had no place in such a room, / Belonging to the common ground above." In modern times, love is lived out in the open, under the scrutiny of daylight, free from the overtly melodramatic barriers of the past.

However, Gunn quickly shifts to acknowledge that each love still defines its "proper obstacles." The modern equivalents of "Montague and Capulet" are abstract—"air, not individuals"—lacking tangible faces but still capable of imposing restrictions. This abstraction suggests that the challenges faced by lovers today are more internal or societal rather than stemming from individual antagonists.

In exploring these modern obstacles, Gunn delves into the idea of freedom in love. Despite the apparent openness and freedom ("In sunlight we are free to move"), the poem questions what this freedom truly means. The reference to Romeo's rapid passion, which "rose to fire / From one thin spark within a brace of days," contrasts sharply with the protracted and often bureaucratic nature of modern relationships, where "visas expire" and time "draws out." This evokes a sense of frustration and longing, highlighting how the modern world stretches love thin, preventing it from igniting with the same fervor as in romantic tales.

Gunn's portrayal of modern love is marked by the mundane and the detailed, rather than the grandiose and picturesque. The "violence of a picturesque account / Gives way to details," emphasizing the shift from dramatic, sweeping gestures to the everyday realities that define contemporary relationships. The poem suggests that modern love is often reduced to "a separate hygienic place / Where acting love is in the past," stripping away the romanticism and leaving a stark, practical reality. This reality lacks the "golden hairs" and "bleeding count" of romantic lore, replaced instead by endurance and the banalities of daily life.

In the closing lines, Gunn underscores the persistent challenges faced by modern lovers. The absence of "bright things to fasten on" suggests a lack of the romantic highlights that make love stories captivating. Instead, love under the "self-generated glare" of modern life reveals any potential for bad outcomes, making endurance the key to surviving these less visible, yet no less formidable, obstacles. The poem concludes with a poignant acknowledgment of the harsh reality of love, shining hard upon the ground, devoid of the romantic sheen of yesteryears.

Gunn's "During an Absence" captures the essence of contemporary love, where the obstacles are subtle, pervasive, and often rooted in the mundane details of life. The poem juxtaposes the freedom and openness of modern relationships with the lingering, abstract challenges that continue to test the endurance of lovers, offering a sober reflection on the nature of love in the present day.

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