Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Double, Double, Root and Branch," Charles Olson draws on the mystique of tarot symbolism to explore the inherent dualities and struggles within human existence, positioning conflict as an essential part of life and growth. The poem’s title, invoking a rhythmic chant, suggests the incantatory power of these symbols, where “double, double” reflects the doubling of opposition and union within the tarot’s imagery. Olson establishes the tarot as a metaphorical landscape in which root and branch—symbolizing origin and growth—must confront challenges to reach fulfillment, blending esoteric mysticism with the universal human experience of overcoming adversity.

The opening lines, “Double, double, root and branch / Tarot dance is tarot chance,” introduce the poem’s central themes: duality and unpredictability. Olson frames life as a dance of opposing forces and random events, where existence is defined by both stability (roots) and expansion (branches). This structure reflects his view that life’s progression requires navigating unpredictable shifts, much like the tarot’s revelations. By referencing the tarot directly, Olson evokes an archetypal system where cards—each with their own meanings—guide individuals through self-discovery and destiny. Here, the “tarot dance” suggests that the journey through life is both predetermined and random, with fate offering choices but leaving the outcomes largely unknown.

The phrase “Birth in the house is the i of STICKS” uses the tarot suit of Sticks (often interpreted as Wands in traditional tarot) to introduce an image of both life’s beginning and its trials. Sticks, Olson explains, symbolize adversity, “negative obstacles,” and misfortune, alluding to the challenges every individual faces. The “i of STICKS,” emphasizing both individual identity and struggle, aligns the concept of birth with a readiness to confront hardship. Olson’s emphasis on the crotch of a tree, “gashed,” evokes a wound or point of creation, symbolizing the painful yet fertile origin from which life springs. This gash, coupled with fire imagery, underscores how birth itself comes with inherent risk and potential for both growth and destruction.

In stating, “Held in the hand: the lengthened arm of power / of sway achieved, by act on object, fire,” Olson connects human agency to the symbolic power of the wand, a traditional tarot symbol representing action and will. This “lengthened arm of power” suggests that strength and influence are earned through confrontation and mastery over one’s obstacles. The act of holding and wielding the stick mirrors the human capacity to affect change and shape fate by taking decisive action. Olson places this concept within a framework of magical struggle, where one’s agency is continually challenged by forces beyond their control, requiring resilience to maintain authority over their life’s course.

Olson further distinguishes between the symbolic meanings of Sticks and Swords, stating, “For Sticks are negative obstacles… / antinomy of Swords, the positive.” Swords in tarot often signify intellect, clarity, and ambition, while Sticks, as Olson interprets, represent oppositional forces or setbacks. By establishing Sticks as “adversative,” Olson suggests that life is a balance between internal goals (Swords) and external challenges (Sticks). The contrast between the “soul & goal” (Swords) and the “oppositions in events” (Sticks) reflects a broader philosophical conflict where personal aspirations must be realized amidst adversity. Olson implies that to attain fulfillment, one must not only confront these obstacles but also reconcile with them, making growth contingent on one’s willingness to face resistance.

The final lines, “Double, double, strife and trouble / Man is chance and man is rebel,” conclude the poem with a synthesis of Olson’s insights on human struggle. The repetition of “double, double” echoes the poem’s refrain and underscores the inevitability of dualities in life: man is both shaped by chance and driven to rebel against it. Olson frames the individual as inherently rebellious, forced to fight against predetermined fates and societal limitations, while acknowledging that “strife is the tarot law.” In this framework, struggle is not only unavoidable but integral to self-assertion and identity.

"Double, Double, Root and Branch" captures Olson’s view of life as a constant interplay between individual agency and external constraints, where identity and meaning are forged through confrontation with adversity. Using the tarot as a guiding symbol, Olson frames struggle as a necessary passage to growth, one that demands resilience and defiance. His use of the tree imagery—root and branch, symbolizing origin and aspiration—further roots this concept in a natural cycle, where every beginning involves a clash with forces that shape and define it. Through this mystical and reflective lens, Olson underscores that existence is a continuous, double-sided dance of self and fate, both grounded in and resisting the forces that shape it.

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