Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Charles Olson?s "There Are Sounds, But Can Immoralists" confronts the interplay of human instinct, morality, and the search for meaning in a chaotic world. The poem oscillates between visceral moments of physical desire, philosophical inquiry, and an underlying tension between individual actions and larger societal structures. Olson’s characteristic openness to the fragmentary and immediate invites the reader into a layered, multifaceted exploration of human behavior and purpose.

The poem begins with "There are sounds," setting a sensory and elemental tone. These sounds suggest a world alive with activity and communication, but the question "can immoralists" interrupts, immediately implicating the moral frameworks that govern or fail to govern human impulses. This abrupt shift from a broad, auditory observation to a moral query hints at Olson’s skepticism about conventional ethical structures.

Olson dives into the rawness of desire with the image of a "skirt" and a "shining ass swept by a skirt so cunningly." The speaker’s reaction—an immediate urge to act on physical attraction—captures an unfiltered human moment, underscoring instinctual drives that defy societal constraints. This visceral reaction is juxtaposed with the recollection of a "voice sat squat on a pillow over against my own," an image of intimacy that veers toward intellectual or spiritual connection. Olson creates a tension between the physical and the cerebral, suggesting that both are intrinsic to human experience.

The poem?s layered structure is marked by recurring returns to serious inquiry: "most serious, if the intent is most serious." Olson seems to critique superficiality, emphasizing the importance of sincerity and depth, whether in relationships, communication, or existential pursuits. Yet, he acknowledges the difficulty of maintaining seriousness in a world that often reduces complex emotions and experiences to fleeting encounters or material exchanges.

Olson’s reference to "fear, the loss, such quantity is measured out so small" underscores the fragility of human existence. The vastness of fear and loss is condensed into something tangible but diminutive, reflecting the human tendency to compartmentalize overwhelming experiences. The line evokes existential anxiety, the sense that life’s most profound elements—love, loss, purpose—are rendered insignificant by the relentlessness of time and societal indifference.

The poem moves into a broader meditation on identity and belonging: "We are. But the name of our country is not known, the citizens are hard to find." Here, Olson critiques the alienation of modern life, suggesting that true community and identity are elusive. The mention of "Boston, or Anacostia" points to specific places, yet the ambiguity of the statement implies that this estrangement is universal. The poet collapses geography into an existential question of connection: where do we truly belong, and how do we locate meaning in the face of pervasive disconnection?

Olson’s philosophical rigor surfaces in the questions and answers embedded in the poem: "what makes us want to, who what is it saves us from confusion...?" The questions point to a yearning for clarity, a desire to understand the motivations and forces that propel human action. Yet, the "Answer" offered is riddled with complexity: "it is not easy to keep the light in, to keep in what light." Light, a recurring metaphor for understanding, truth, or creativity, is depicted as fragile, struggling against the oppressive forces of a "sliding present."

The poem ends with an invocation of "cleaners" and "a new broom," symbolic of renewal and the hope for transformation. However, Olson tempers this optimism with a recognition of necessity: "but the very thing which must." This final note underscores an acceptance of inevitability—whether it is the inevitability of human imperfection, the constraints of morality, or the ceaseless push for meaning in an often absurd world.

Through its oscillation between visceral imagery, philosophical musings, and sharp critique, "There Are Sounds, But Can Immoralists" exemplifies Olson?s commitment to the complexities of the human condition. The poem resists easy resolutions, instead offering a dynamic exploration of morality, desire, and the perpetual struggle to make sense of life’s dualities. It challenges readers to confront their own instincts and uncertainties, urging them to embrace the difficult task of "keeping the light in" amidst the chaos.

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