Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Howard Nemerov’s poem "Lobsters" presents a vivid and contemplative scene set in a grocery store, where the mundane act of choosing a lobster for dinner transforms into a profound reflection on life, death, and the nature of existence. Through meticulous description and philosophical musings, the poem invites readers to consider the beauty and strangeness of these creatures and the deeper implications of their presence in the marketplace.

The poem begins with a straightforward, almost clinical depiction of the lobsters' environment: a glass tank in the Super Duper supermarket, with a continuous flow of fresh water maintaining their habitat. This description sets the stage for the contrast between the lobsters’ natural, wild existence and their current, artificial confinement. The use of words like "herd" and "customer" immediately places the lobsters within the context of human consumption, highlighting their role as commodities awaiting selection and eventual consumption.

Nemerov's language then shifts to a more evocative and lyrical tone as he describes the lobsters' appearance and movements. The lobsters are marked by "the beauty of strangeness," their "slow, vague wavering of claws" likened to "the somnambulist's effortless clambering." This imagery imbues the lobsters with a dreamlike quality, as if they are caught in a trance, navigating a reality that is a mere reflection of their true, natural environment.

The poet's attention to their "velvet colors"—"mud red, bruise purple, cadaver green / Speckled with black"—creates a striking visual contrast to their supermarket setting. These colors, which serve as camouflage in their natural habitat, make them stand out in the artificial light of the store, underscoring their dislocation. Nemerov’s use of color and description not only highlights the physical beauty of the lobsters but also evokes a sense of their profound otherness and the incongruity of their situation.

As the poem progresses, Nemerov introduces a more reflective and philosophical tone. The lobsters are described as "incommensurable / Philosophers and at the same time victims," a duality that captures their enigmatic presence and their impending doom. This duality is further emphasized by the image of their "imperial claws / Pegged shut with a whittled stick at the wrist," a poignant reminder of their power and their helplessness.

The poem then shifts focus to the human observers, "we inlanders," who pause to consider these "slow, gigantic spiders / That spin not." This comparison to spiders, creatures often associated with patience and intricacy, contrasts with the lobsters' idle, constrained existence. The pause and bemusement of the shoppers reflect a moment of contemplation, a brief suspension of the everyday routine to ponder the deeper significance of these creatures.

Nemerov delves deeper into this contemplation, suggesting that sometimes "a mind sinks down / To the blind abyss in a swirl of sand, goes cold / And archaic in a carapace of horn." This descent into an ancient, primordial state of being connects the lobsters to a more profound, elemental aspect of existence. The phrase "There's something underneath the world" hints at a hidden, fundamental reality that underlies the superficial appearances of life.

The poem concludes with the image of "The flame beneath the pot that boils the water," a stark reminder of the lobsters' fate and a metaphor for the inexorable forces of life and death. This final image encapsulates the poem’s exploration of the natural cycle and the often unacknowledged connections between human actions and the broader, more mysterious processes of the world.

In "Lobsters," Howard Nemerov transforms a simple scene of choosing seafood into a rich and layered reflection on beauty, mortality, and the profound mysteries that lie beneath the surface of everyday life. Through vivid imagery and philosophical insight, the poem invites readers to consider the deeper implications of our interactions with the natural world and the often-overlooked significance of the lives we take for granted.

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