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Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

POETICS, by                

Michael McClure’s "Poetics" is a bold, declarative statement on the fusion of biology, politics, and artistic creation. Unlike traditional poetic meditations on language or aesthetics, McClure’s vision of poetics is deeply rooted in organicism—the idea that life itself, its growth and interconnectivity, defines not only the function of poetry but the very nature of existence. The poem operates less as an argument and more as a proclamation, utilizing a clipped, emphatic style that reflects McClure’s lifelong engagement with ecological consciousness, Beat-era spontaneity, and a raw, biological awareness of the self.

The opening assertion—"YES! THERE IS BUT ONE POLITICS AND THAT IS BIOLOGY. BIOLOGY IS POLITICS."—immediately challenges conventional distinctions between personal, political, and natural realms. McClure collapses these categories into a single reality: biology, the fundamental structure of life, dictates the true nature of human systems. By rejecting the notion of politics as an external, artificial construct, McClure redefines it as something embedded within the flesh, breath, and cellular processes of all living beings. This perspective aligns with his long-standing belief in the primacy of the body and nature, an idea that permeates much of his work.

The poem’s format—short, forceful lines arranged in stark, vertical alignment—mirrors the immediacy of its message. McClure’s use of repetition, especially in BIOLOGY IS POLITICS, reinforces the idea that existence itself is inherently political, governed not by laws or ideologies but by the fundamental structures of life. There is an urgency in the way he presents this idea, as if he is announcing a truth that has always been present but remains unrecognized.

Midway through the poem, McClure introduces an apocalyptic undercurrent: "We dive into the black, black rainbow of the end unless we spend our life and build love in creation of what is organic." The phrase black, black rainbow is striking—rainbows traditionally symbolize beauty, hope, and renewal, but here, darkness overtakes them. This ominous image suggests that humanity is on the brink of ecological and existential collapse, plunging toward an unnatural, self-destructive end. However, McClure offers an alternative—spending life and building love in creation of what is organic. This line positions the creative act, whether through poetry, relationships, or ecological awareness, as a way to counteract the forces of destruction.

The phrase "The old views (worn and blasted) are a structure of death." furthers this rejection of outdated systems. McClure is not merely critiquing political ideologies but all modes of thought that separate humans from their organic essence. These old views—likely referring to industrialism, materialism, and hierarchical power structures—have become destructive forces, unnatural constructs that suppress the vitality of life. His call to abandon them is not just philosophical but imperative, a matter of survival.

The poem closes with a return to affirmation, an invocation of breath as an act of service to ultimate beauty: "Our breath IS TO SERVE THE ULTIMATE beauty of ourselves." Breath, the most fundamental biological function, becomes a sacred act. To breathe is not merely to survive but to serve—to honor and contribute to the organic processes that sustain life. By placing ultimate beauty at the center of this service, McClure suggests that true artistry and existence lie in embracing life’s natural rhythms rather than resisting or controlling them.

"Poetics" is both a manifesto and a warning, a call to consciousness in a world that has become increasingly detached from its biological foundations. McClure’s vision of poetry is inseparable from life itself, positioning the poet not as a detached observer but as an active participant in the ecological and existential struggle of existence. The poem’s power lies in its simplicity—through a series of direct, unembellished statements, McClure transforms poetics into a radical, life-affirming force.


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