Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Asymptotes", Charles Olson crafts a meditation on the human condition, laced with existential resignation, defiance, and a dark, ironic wit. The poem takes a self-reflective tone, merging elements of myth, personal inadequacy, and the human experience of grappling with knowledge and limitation. Olson's use of mythological references and his stark self-assessment create a piece that seems both resigned to and defiant of the inevitable limits on human understanding and potential.

Olson opens with an almost paradoxical statement, “yup, our disgraces are our Graces,” suggesting that human failings and vulnerabilities are intrinsic parts of our humanity. By capitalizing “Graces,” Olson could be alluding to the Three Graces of classical mythology—goddesses of beauty, charm, and joy. However, in Olson’s formulation, our “Graces” are also our shames, the flaws and failings that define us. This juxtaposition invites a reflection on the dual nature of human experience, where strengths and weaknesses are inseparable. Olson is comfortable owning his own limitations, seeming to see them as essential rather than something to be corrected or hidden.

He follows with, “nor have i a talent, or a virtue, to lend,” a line that speaks to a sense of personal inadequacy and humility. Olson appears to strip himself of any pretense of unique virtue or strength, presenting himself as an “everyman” figure. This self-effacing line underscores a theme of existential humility; rather than casting himself as a sage or heroic figure, Olson embraces his ordinariness, acknowledging his limitations with a sense of almost dispassionate acceptance.

Olson then compares himself to an “aroid,” a type of plant that includes species like the cuckoopint, known for its peculiar spiky and bracted structure. In saying “i, too, am retted down,” he suggests that he, like the aroid, is breaking down, decaying, or shedding layers. “Retted” refers to the process of soaking plants to remove undesirable parts, a metaphor that could imply Olson’s own stripping down of ego or extraneous qualities. The plant’s spiky and defensive structure—“all spike and bract”—reflects Olson’s sense of being guarded, perhaps prickly, and rough-edged, shaped by life’s difficulties and limitations.

In a turn toward mythology, Olson addresses Prometheus, the Titan who, according to Greek myth, brought fire to humanity and was punished by Zeus. He imagines stopping Prometheus, “may i tap you on the shoulder / say, have you got a match, Prometheus?” This casual line is humorously irreverent; Olson addresses a figure of myth and power as though they were a stranger on the street. Here, he mingles humor with deep philosophical questioning, asking Prometheus about his punishment. In this moment, Prometheus, bound and suffering eternally, becomes a figure for human suffering and the pursuit of knowledge at great personal cost. Olson’s offhand inquiry about “a match” might represent a desire for illumination, for insight or understanding, in the midst of his own struggles.

The poem then shifts into a series of questions, “what was it like, to be bound? / in your winter, what fed on your liver, / Ambiguous?” Olson evokes the image of Prometheus suffering as an eagle feasts on his liver—a punishment that occurs each day, as his liver regenerates overnight. This visceral punishment is a metaphor for the endless struggles of human life, particularly the intellectual and existential pursuits that bring pain yet are impossible to abandon. Olson addresses Prometheus as “Ambiguous,” suggesting the uncertain nature of the pursuit of knowledge and the murky moral or existential consequences of such quests. The poet seems to find in Prometheus both a kinship and a question: why endure such agony for enlightenment, for the “fire” of knowledge that is both illuminating and destructive?

Olson then introduces a more personal revelation: “myself, i go by glee, / don’t even know the bird eats me.” Here, he admits to his ignorance, or at least his unawareness, of the forces that consume him. Unlike Prometheus, who knowingly suffers for the gift of fire, Olson exists in a state of semi-ignorance, going “by glee” and remaining unaware of his own vulnerabilities or the symbolic “bird” that consumes him. The “bird” becomes a symbol for life’s inevitable pains, sorrows, or the forces beyond our control that slowly erode us, often without our full awareness.

The line “(o for a beak, / (Hail, Claw! to be sharp” carries a blend of longing and dark humor. Olson seems to wish for a kind of resilience or ferocity, imagining a “beak” and “claw”—the very instruments of the creature that preys on Prometheus—as symbols of strength and sharpness. This moment reflects a longing for empowerment, to possess the qualities of the forces that threaten or consume him. Olson’s parenthetical exclamation, “Hail, Claw!” is both celebratory and ironic, as if he admires and envies the bird’s sharpness while simultaneously recognizing that this sharpness is directed against him.

The poem, as a whole, becomes a meditation on self-knowledge, limitation, and the inevitable pains of existence. Olson’s allusions to myth add layers of meaning, allowing him to explore his themes in a broader, archetypal context. Through Prometheus, Olson reflects on the costs of the human pursuit of understanding and the inherent ambiguity in seeking knowledge or enlightenment. There is also a tension between awareness and ignorance: while Prometheus suffers knowingly, Olson drifts in semi-consciousness, aware of his limitations but not fully cognizant of the forces that wear him down.

In "Asymptotes", Olson grapples with the paradoxes of existence—where human disgrace and grace coexist, where the pursuit of knowledge is both a curse and a blessing, and where individuals must find meaning within their limitations. His raw, self-effacing language, coupled with mythological references, presents a vision of humanity that is humble, flawed, and ambiguous, yet deeply aware of its own vulnerabilities.

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