Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Pipes of Oblivion" by Christopher Howell offers a contemplative and surreal journey through the icy Arctic, where the explorer Nansen—likely a reference to Fridtjof Nansen, the famed Norwegian polar explorer—finds himself caught between a harsh, frozen reality and a dreamlike encounter with the unknown. Howell uses the setting of a ship trapped in the Arctic ice to explore themes of existential isolation, the passage of time, and humanity's search for meaning amid vast, indifferent landscapes.

The poem opens with Nansen observing a "bird-shaped constellation / flying and singing as it flew," a surreal image that blends celestial with earthly elements. This sight does not surprise Nansen; in fact, Howell writes that “in those days / Norwegians often saw that sort of thing,” suggesting that the extraordinary has become almost routine for those venturing into the polar unknown. This acceptance of the unreal introduces a theme of detachment, as if the extreme conditions and solitude of the Arctic have altered Nansen's perception of reality. The bird constellation, a seemingly beautiful and unearthly vision, may symbolize a fleeting glimpse of freedom or transcendence, a stark contrast to the confinement of the ship trapped in ice.

As Nansen clears his pipe by “whack[ing] it on the rail,” he performs an ordinary, grounding act amid these surreal sights. The pipe becomes a symbol of routine and human grounding in the face of the Arctic’s vast emptiness. Howell writes that Nansen then “wandered aft, thinking, ‘What astonishing notation / the footfall brings. This must be oblivion!’” This moment captures Nansen’s gradual realization of the overwhelming stillness around him. The phrase “astonishing notation” evokes the idea of each step echoing in the silence, as if his footsteps are marking time and space in an otherwise infinite landscape. The sense that this might be “oblivion” reflects an awareness that he is in a place where the usual markers of time and purpose are suspended, where human presence feels small and insignificant.

The line “It was a giddy time” introduces a sense of irony, highlighting the bizarre mix of dread and excitement in the explorers’ predicament. The ice is carrying them “to where the North began,” symbolizing a journey to an untouched, primordial part of the world. Yet Howell’s tone carries a grim humor, as he notes that “it was likely they would die / (as the grim joke went) of having no place else to go.” This darkly humorous observation points to the existential risk inherent in exploration: the possibility that one might reach the end of the earth only to find that there is nothing there, no final revelation or destination, only endless, indifferent cold. The explorers’ situation thus becomes a metaphor for human existence, where the pursuit of purpose or meaning may lead only to the realization of our own insignificance.

The bird shape sings again, and Nansen, unfazed, orders the mate to "turn in" and takes the rest of the watch himself. In this quiet moment, he lets "smoke rings lift into the icy arctic wheel," releasing the familiar smoke into the night. The smoke rings become a visual metaphor for the passing of time, dissolving into the night as quickly as they are formed. In this way, Howell illustrates the transience of human actions and concerns against the backdrop of the eternal, unchanging Arctic. Nansen’s contemplation of time reflects the way it becomes both more profound and irrelevant in such extreme isolation. His small, personal act of blowing smoke rings contrasts with the vastness around him, emphasizing the fragility of human presence within the larger forces of nature.

Howell ends the poem with Nansen reflecting on the indifference of time to "a ship or man stuck fast / in a voyage / even imaginary gods could not recall the object of." Here, Howell suggests that human quests, even those as grand as exploration, may be fundamentally meaningless in the face of the infinite. The idea that "even imaginary gods could not recall the object of" this voyage speaks to a sense of cosmic amnesia, where the purpose of their journey—perhaps of all human endeavors—is lost or forgotten by the universe. Howell implies that the explorers’ journey, once so purposeful, has become aimless, driven by the need to continue rather than by any clear goal.

"Pipes of Oblivion" reflects on the vast indifference of the natural world, contrasting human attempts to impose meaning with the indifferent grandeur of the Arctic. Nansen, who begins by looking up at a bird-shaped constellation, ends by recognizing the futility of his quest, acknowledging that he is part of a journey without a clear purpose or end. Howell’s language, rich with irony and imagery, emphasizes the tension between human ambition and the natural world’s vast, impersonal forces, inviting readers to ponder the fragility of meaning in a universe where time, nature, and the gods remain indifferent to our endeavors. Through Nansen’s solitary vigil, Howell captures a haunting meditation on exploration, existential isolation, and the quiet beauty of facing the void.

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