Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Paul Muldoon's "Tithonus" is a dense, evocative poem that intertwines themes of memory, history, and the passage of time, all while invoking the myth of Tithonus, the figure from Greek mythology who was granted eternal life but not eternal youth. Through a series of vivid and sometimes surreal images, Muldoon explores the echoes of the past that linger in the present, the way family history and personal memory intermingle, and the inescapable progression of time.

The poem opens with the seemingly mundane sound of a smoke detector’s "day-old cheep," an irritating, repetitive noise that serves as a reminder of malfunction or a warning. This sound is immediately placed in the context of a root cellar, a place traditionally associated with storage, preservation, and the past. The root cellar, as a metaphor, suggests a deep connection to history and the underpinnings of family and personal memory.

Muldoon then introduces a series of sounds and images that link the present to the past. The "hush-hush of all those drowsy syrups" in an apothecary chest in a grandmother's attic evokes a sense of preserved remedies and forgotten cures, the remnants of a time when such syrups were relied upon for health and comfort. The mention of "ice-branch frigging ice-branch" introduces a more abstract and cold image, possibly suggesting a brittle, fragile connection between past and present, or the repetition of patterns across generations.

The poem continues with the "jinkle-jink" of a great-grandfather who was a bank teller. His six shots of "medicinal" whiskey, humorously referred to as "therap-utraquist," are likened to "six stacks of coppers," a tangible connection to his profession and the materiality of his life. The reference to the American Numismatic Society, which is concerned with coins and currency, adds a layer of historical and economic significance, linking personal memory to broader societal contexts. This great-grandfather’s life, marked by financial concerns, resonates through time, much like the mythic figure of Tithonus, whose life stretches on interminably.

As the poem progresses, Muldoon delves deeper into ancestral memory, evoking the "spur-spink" sound heard by a great-great-grandfather during a Confederate offensive in the West. This memory is tied to a specific historical moment—the Civil War—and suggests the ways in which history leaves its mark on families and individuals, even generations later. The "rebel-yeller" who "came a cropper" hints at the failures and losses that are also part of this legacy.

The poem also touches on the "phatic whittering" of a great-great-grandmother named Blanche, whose presence in the poem is marked by her voice and her name, a detail that emphasizes the way identity is transmitted and remembered through language and family stories.

The repetition of the "day-old cheep" of the smoke detector brings the poem full circle, but this time the sound is revealed to be "the two-thousand-year-old chirrup of a grasshopper." This transformation from the modern, mundane annoyance of a smoke detector to the ancient, natural sound of a grasshopper ties the poem back to the myth of Tithonus. In the myth, Tithonus, granted eternal life without eternal youth, ultimately becomes a grasshopper, a creature that continues to chirp endlessly. The grasshopper’s chirrup serves as a symbol of time’s relentless march and the persistence of life, even as it becomes increasingly frail and repetitive.

In "Tithonus," Muldoon deftly blends the personal with the mythic, exploring how family history, individual memory, and cultural heritage intersect and resonate across time. The poem’s layering of sounds—both real and metaphorical—creates a sense of continuity and connection, suggesting that the past is always present, echoing through the small, seemingly insignificant details of everyday life. Through its rich imagery and intricate structure, the poem invites readers to consider the ways in which they are shaped by the histories they inherit and the stories they tell themselves about their place in the world.

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