Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In Charles Olson's "Bigmans," we encounter a powerful call to action, a rousing summons to those who wield strength—“Bigmans”—to emerge from passivity and isolation and engage with the world. Through stark imagery and urgent language, Olson addresses themes of dormant potential, societal expectations, and the reclamation of agency. The poem oscillates between scorn and encouragement, ultimately urging these figures to step out of complacency and assume a role in the transformation of society.

Olson begins with an imperative: “arouse yrself, Bigmans, arouse cities,” establishing a tone of urgency. "Bigmans" are envisioned as figures of latent power, yet their strength is immobilized, contained in “crumples of tin” and “dead men.” This characterization suggests that their potential is subdued, rendered inert by internal or societal restraints. The choice to address these “Bigmans” directly as if they were both personal and universal figures—mythic yet rooted in real, dormant individuals—adds to the sense of immediacy. Olson’s directive to “leave your mother’s fire” hints at an origin of comfort or security, a place where the Bigmans have remained, stagnant and insulated from the world.

The repeated command “Take to the streets, Bigmans, to the streets” reflects Olson's belief in action and engagement as the paths to transformation. He instructs them to seek out the “whore,” not as an object of mere physicality but as a metaphor for life’s raw, unfiltered experiences. Olson’s invocation of the “whore” embodies societal forces traditionally marginalized or stigmatized, standing for untapped realms of vitality and connection with the collective. In calling Bigmans to embrace this figure, Olson redefines strength—not as something confined to individual achievement or prowess, but as engagement with the collective, with the ignored or rejected facets of society.

Olson’s language further explores the feminine aspects of creation and potentiality through images of “the ground,” “the well,” and “night.” These are nurturing, primal symbols, and Olson suggests that they, like the Bigmans themselves, are underutilized or devalued. The feminine energy in the poem—often associated with earth and fertility—is portrayed as “defiled” and “eyeless,” a shadow of its true, life-giving potential. The juxtaposition of the masculine “Bigmans” with this diminished feminine archetype implies a symbiotic relationship; both energies are needed for growth and change but have been cut off from their full potency.

Olson’s critique deepens as he addresses the consequences of inaction. He describes the Bigmans as having “got fat b’exceptionality,” implying that their sense of uniqueness or separateness has become a burden, an excuse to disengage from the collective and remain isolated. Their strength has become a “hulk,” wasted in self-indulgence or self-importance. Olson’s language underscores his disdain for this kind of individualistic stagnation and calls instead for unity and purpose. By imploring the Bigmans to “pull out from her house” and bring their strength into the public sphere, Olson casts the streets and the collective domain as places of renewal and potential.

The closing lines of the poem resonate as both plea and command. Olson’s use of “asking” and “demand” reveals the balance of vulnerability and authority in his voice. The call to action is not merely a request but an invocation, a “draft of invocation” that suggests a ceremonial or even sacred need for the Bigmans to fulfill their potential. Olson’s words carry a sense of communal responsibility, as though the fate of the collective is intertwined with the choices of these latent giants.

In "Bigmans," Olson positions strength not as a passive trait but as an active force, one that must be channeled toward communal engagement and transformation. The poem resonates as a critique of complacency and a call for reawakening. Through powerful metaphors and commanding language, Olson urges those with the means to effect change to break free from isolation, shed their exceptionalism, and reintegrate into the world as forces for renewal and connection.

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