Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Philip Lamantia's poem "Shasta" is a vivid exploration of mystical landscapes, both physical and psychological. Through his dense and evocative language, Lamantia blends historical, mythological, and surrealist elements to create a tapestry that speaks to the interconnectedness of place, memory, and transcendence.

The poem opens with an immediate engagement with the mystical and the transformative: "Against the current words came looking for me, the spark which evolves from luz: youth in the wind, tugboat in the bay, pollen lashes the gulfs of earthquake—laughing pilot, lingual lip sopping mineral waves—lost Aton hurtling forests down the atomic flue." Here, Lamantia combines the natural ("youth in the wind, tugboat in the bay") with the cataclysmic ("pollen lashes the gulfs of earthquake"), suggesting a world where beauty and destruction are intertwined.

The reference to "lost Aton" introduces an Egyptian element, Aton being a sun deity, suggesting themes of light and divinity. This is further emphasized by the invocation of "Shasta great Shasta," a geographical and mystical landmark. Shasta, often associated with Lemurian mythology and spiritual significance, becomes a focal point for the poem’s exploration of transcendence and hidden knowledge.

Lamantia continues to weave historical references with mystical imagery: "Alexander Pope sabred the floxgloves. Whirlpool of Ys, the churning of divulgent scapes, everywhere the locus of dream." The mention of Alexander Pope, an 18th-century poet known for his satirical verse, juxtaposed with the mythic "Whirlpool of Ys" (a legendary city said to have been engulfed by the sea), creates a dialogue between the literary and the legendary, the real and the mythical.

The poem's landscape is rich with natural imagery that speaks to transformation and decay: "Graveyards of redwood root systems flavor salt systems going up river; the sparrows of summer launch pyres of rain." This imagery evokes a sense of cycles, where life and death, growth and decay, are part of a continuous process.

Lamantia’s language becomes more surreal as he delves into the metaphysical: "The roads are closed by fire. The roads end, darken. Omens thicken, the psychic pain of being born. Only the blue vapor endures like sidereal weaving at the black seed, decay in the waters of the equestrian sea." The "psychic pain of being born" suggests a deep existential anguish, while the "blue vapor" symbolizes a lingering, perhaps spiritual, essence that persists despite decay.

The poem also touches on themes of alchemy and transformation: "In the alchemical legends, there’s a certain star seen at the completion of the Work, appears on the silver horizon through the trail in the grove." This reference to alchemical traditions underscores the poem's preoccupation with transformation and the pursuit of hidden truths.

As the poem progresses, Lamantia blends personal reflection with broader metaphysical concerns: "The succulent pine resin writes kaleidoscopes between seasons. The roads are closed by fire. The roads end, darken." The natural world is imbued with a sense of mystical significance, where even the pine resin becomes a medium for cosmic messages.

In its concluding lines, "Shasta" returns to themes of transcendence and mystical experience: "I see chthonic man, and it’s the wheel— the hated wheel— sending up a sliver of lucent dawn arched on a sunbeam serrating the vegetable stone: the light of her going by, a superior earth being, her clothes blued as a tissue of incandescent gold, something like an appearance of words— seen." This passage evokes a vision of enlightenment and transformation, where the mundane and the divine intersect.

"Shasta" by Philip Lamantia is a profound exploration of the mystical and the natural world, weaving together historical, mythological, and surrealist elements to create a rich, evocative tapestry. The poem invites readers to contemplate the interconnectedness of all things and the possibility of transcendence through the beauty and mystery of the natural world. Lamantia's use of vivid imagery and dense language creates a complex and layered work that speaks to the enduring human quest for meaning and understanding in a world that is both beautiful and chaotic.

Copyright (c) 2025 PoetryExplorer

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...