Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Mark Halliday’s "Narragansett Boulevard" is an existential meditation on choice, place, and the necessity of personal development. The poem explores the stark reality of being—grounded in specific, desolate imagery—and juxtaposes it with the human imperative to seek meaning and growth. Through its bleak yet vivid descriptions and its philosophical musings, the poem challenges the reader to confront the tension between stagnation and transformation.

The poem’s title situates us immediately in a specific location: Narragansett Boulevard. This setting is described in meticulous, almost clinical detail, with a focus on industrial and urban elements. The “black gas tank with iron stairs” and the “red oil truck beside a shed” evoke a landscape that is utilitarian, impersonal, and devoid of inherent beauty. The choice of these objects suggests a kind of modern wasteland, a backdrop that emphasizes isolation and monotony. Yet, Halliday imbues these objects with a latent potential: they become sites of possible action. Climbing the gas tank’s stairs or standing behind the oil truck are presented as “options”—simple, even absurd acts that nonetheless affirm one’s physical presence in the world.

This notion of “being there” is central to the poem. By repeating phrases like “stand there in that small light” and “be there, located in that location,” Halliday emphasizes the importance of physical existence as a starting point for meaning. The deliberate use of banal, almost redundant language mirrors the repetitive and stagnant nature of the locations described. The poem’s tone suggests that these acts of presence, while seemingly insignificant, are still preferable to nonexistence. Even standing in the dim light of a “weak bulb” for hours is a form of engagement with the world.

However, the poem does not linger in this minimalist affirmation of being. It raises a critical question: “But would there ever be development?” This question shifts the focus from mere presence to the necessity of growth and progression. The word “development” carries a dual resonance, suggesting both personal evolution and the kind of industrial or urban expansion hinted at by the poem’s setting. The speaker insists that “you have to develop,” rejecting passivity and indecision. The repetition of “you have to” underscores the urgency of this imperative, as though stagnation is not just undesirable but untenable.

Halliday’s exploration of choice is particularly striking in the lines: “You can’t choose not to choose; / you have to want, you have to seek and prefer.” Here, the poem engages directly with existentialist themes, echoing philosophers like Sartre, who argued that human beings are condemned to freedom and must take responsibility for their choices. The poem suggests that even in the most barren, uninspiring landscapes, the act of wanting, seeking, and preferring is essential to defining oneself. To fail to choose is, paradoxically, a choice—one that leads to a kind of erasure, a dissolution into nothingness.

The phrase “version of ‘you’ can be nearly nothing” captures the potential for self-negation in the absence of action or development. The “chain-link black wet lots” become a metaphor for the constraints and limitations that can trap the self in a state of inertia. The imagery of the “chain-link” suggests entanglement, while the “black wet lots” evoke a sense of emptiness and desolation. In this context, the poem’s insistence on development becomes a call to transcend these constraints, to move beyond mere survival into a realm of intentional living.

At its core, "Narragansett Boulevard" is a meditation on the human condition, grappling with the tension between the banality of existence and the necessity of purposeful action. The industrial, rain-soaked landscape serves as a powerful metaphor for the internal wastelands that individuals must navigate. Halliday’s use of plain, repetitive language mirrors the monotony of the environment while also emphasizing the profound weight of seemingly simple choices. The poem’s philosophical inquiry into presence, choice, and development invites readers to reflect on their own lives, urging them to seek meaning and growth even in the most unremarkable settings.

Ultimately, Halliday presents a vision of existence that is both stark and hopeful. While the world of "Narragansett Boulevard" is bleak and unadorned, it is also a space where action and development remain possible. The poem’s insistence that “you have to want, you have to seek and prefer” affirms the resilience of the human spirit, suggesting that even in the darkest corners of the world—or the self—there is room for transformation.

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