Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Bagatto", Charles Olson engages with the archetype of the “Magician” card from the Tarot, exploring themes of mystery, duality, and human power. The poem uses the figure of the Magician—known as "Il Bagatto" in the Tarot's Italian tradition—to symbolize mastery, intuition, and the complex interplay between fate and free will. Olson's language, imbued with symbolism, aligns with the Tarot's mystical and esoteric undertones, suggesting that the Magician is both a creator and a challenger of established order.

The opening lines, “Double, double, twice the face / Tarot pool and tarot race,” immediately invoke a sense of duality and competition. The idea of a “double” or a mirrored self introduces the Magician as a figure with two faces or natures, reinforcing the image of both a practical craftsman and an enigmatic conjurer. The Magician is presented not just as a “Causer of terror” but also as a “maker of sense,” suggesting his role as a mediator between chaos and order, possessing the ability to invoke both awe and understanding. Olson emphasizes this blend of abilities by describing the Magician as “the MAN of MAGIC, beginning, prime / Number i, major arcana, master of rime,” solidifying his place at the start of a mystical journey and establishing him as a primary force in the Tarot.

The details Olson provides—“a cup, a shoe, an awl, and a hammer”—ground the Magician’s tools in everyday objects, blurring the line between the ordinary and the extraordinary. These items reflect the four classical elements (earth, air, fire, and water) often represented in the Magician card, symbolizing the means to harness and transform the world. Each tool is symbolic of a practical and grounded power, yet their significance in the Magician’s hands elevates them to instruments of creation and fate. The presence of these tools also reinforces the Magician’s connection to tangible reality, aligning him with the material world even as he channels metaphysical forces.

As the poem progresses, Olson describes the Magician’s appearance and demeanor, with his “green eye” and “red sleeve,” colors suggesting life, nature, and intensity. The Magician’s left hand “throws down the dice,” an image symbolizing the unpredictability of fate, the roll of chance. Olson aligns this gesture with the power of the Magician to determine both “the event, and the price,” emphasizing that the Magician’s choices influence outcomes but carry inherent consequences. By linking the Magician’s authority with fate and consequence, Olson suggests that the Magician not only shapes reality but also deals with the inescapable balance between action and result.

A powerful line, “He comes out of humus, of leaf and, the dead,” draws the Magician’s origin from the earth itself, connecting him to a life-death cycle reminiscent of mythological gods who derive power from natural decay and rebirth. His “hat is a nimbus, infinity,” a clear nod to the lemniscate (∞) that hovers above the head of the Magician in the Tarot. This infinity symbol represents the Magician’s connection to endless potential, the eternal flow of energy, and the boundlessness of human capacity when attuned with universal forces.

The final lines of the poem, “For beneath the surface his twin is revealed / Together the key to what is concealed,” suggest the Magician’s double nature or “twin” self—a mirror, perhaps, to the shadow aspect or a hidden counterpart. This twin represents the inner complexities and concealed truths within each individual, as well as the idea that enlightenment comes through accepting and integrating one’s hidden aspects. Olson’s use of the phrase “Tarot race in watery place” implies that the journey to self-discovery is dynamic, elusive, and often obscured, akin to reflections shifting on the surface of water.

"Bagatto" weaves elements of the Tarot's mystical symbolism with themes of personal agency, fate, and the duality of human nature. Through the figure of the Magician, Olson explores the potential for self-realization and transformation, tempered by the ever-present forces of mystery and consequence. The poem underscores the notion that power, while attainable, is complex and multifaceted, requiring both skill and self-awareness to unlock “the key to what is concealed.” In embracing both the visible and hidden facets of existence, Olson’s Magician represents a guide for readers, inviting them to look within and beyond, at once creators and seekers of their own fates.

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