Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Charles Olson’s "Lion Upon the Floor" is a fiercely kinetic and symbolically rich poem that channels primal energies into a meditation on power, desire, and transformation. The poem’s vibrant imagery and rhythm evoke the interplay between the elemental forces of nature and the human experience, presenting a visceral celebration of vitality and creation. Through its invocation of the lion, the poem situates the reader in a dynamic landscape where instinct, song, and the forces of the earth converge.

The repeated directive to "Begin a song" establishes the poem as a call to action, an invocation of the creative and the primal. Olson juxtaposes the power of song with the dangers of abstraction: "Power and the abstract distract a man from his own gain." Here, abstraction—detachment from the visceral, embodied reality—is critiqued as a force that alienates one from the richness of experience. In contrast, the poem urges immersion in the tangible and immediate, symbolized by the act of singing, which ties the individual to the elemental and the physical.

The imagery of the lion upon the floor is central to the poem’s exploration of raw, untamed energy. The lion, with its "beak claw" and physicality, embodies a primal force that is at once ferocious and awe-inspiring. This lion is not confined to metaphorical grandeur but is grounded "upon the floor," symbolizing a rootedness in the real and the tangible. Olson’s use of tactile, physical imagery—"deprive his hand upon a nape and hip of kiss"—underscores the corporeal focus of the poem, celebrating the sensory and the instinctual as sources of vitality.

The song that Olson calls for is not merely an aesthetic act but a transformative one: "Let the salt in begin / cut the heart open." The salt, a symbol of purification and life, initiates a process of catharsis and renewal. The cutting open of the heart is an act of exposure, allowing the "blood" to "run with sun." This fusion of blood and sun symbolizes the life force in harmony with the cosmic, linking the individual’s vitality to the broader cycles of nature. Olson connects this transformative power to the elements—wind, rain, and the roar of the earth—creating a holistic vision of renewal and regeneration.

The repeated refrain "Sing a song of six cents" ties the poem to a playful, almost folkloric rhythm while juxtaposing it with expansive imagery: "Sing a song of seven seas." The six cents—a nod to modest, everyday transactions—grounds the poem in the mundane, while the seven seas evoke the vastness of the world and the limitless possibilities of experience. Olson bridges the personal and the universal, suggesting that the most transformative forces are accessible through both the quotidian and the cosmic.

Olson’s imagery of "The tall grass green the muscle in the sea / an axe to cut a continent / an ox to walk a sky" reinforces the primal and mythic dimensions of the poem. The tall grass and the muscle of the sea evoke the interconnected vitality of the natural world, while the axe and the ox introduce human effort and mythic labor. These images suggest both destruction and creation, aligning human endeavors with the elemental forces of nature. The ox "walk[ing] a sky" transforms labor into transcendence, blending the terrestrial with the celestial.

The poem’s conclusion intensifies its focus on primal instincts and transformation: "give a girl to each man / to put him on his knees / Lion, spring!" Here, Olson invokes the forces of desire and submission, acknowledging the power of human connection and its capacity to ground individuals in their physicality. The lion’s spring becomes a final, climactic gesture of vitality and power, encapsulating the explosive potential of the elemental forces at play.

Structurally, the poem’s rhythm and repetition mirror its thematic preoccupation with cycles and renewal. The refrain-like calls to "Sing a song" create a hypnotic cadence, drawing the reader into the poem’s dynamic energy. Olson’s use of fragmented imagery and enjambment enhances the sense of movement and immediacy, reflecting the kinetic and transformative nature of the lion’s presence.

"Lion Upon the Floor" is a powerful invocation of primal energy and creative transformation. Through its vivid imagery and rhythmic urgency, Olson celebrates the interconnectedness of the human and the elemental, the mundane and the cosmic. The lion, both a literal and symbolic force, anchors the poem in a visceral reality while propelling it toward mythic dimensions. In its call to embrace vitality and connection, the poem affirms the raw, untamed power of existence and the transformative potential of song, desire, and nature.

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