Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "De Los Cantares," Charles Olson navigates the intersections of ancient history, modern life, and personal identity, crafting a collage of fragments that explore themes of tradition, disconnection, and existential navigation. Olson’s layered language and imagery evoke a world where the past continually informs the present, yet offers no straightforward guidance. This poem, interweaving historical references with modern musings, reveals a speaker’s struggle to reconcile a fractured sense of self with the weight of inherited knowledge and cultural remnants.

Olson opens with references to historical or mythological figures, mentioning Orontes—a river in Syria that has witnessed countless historical events and serves as a symbolic link to ancient times. This river becomes a backdrop against which personal and historical identity collide. The reference to “Kati (the Catti) in i 2 88” draws from historical accounts of conflict and cultural integration, likely nodding to the ancient peoples of central Europe and their interactions with neighboring societies. By mentioning “an inscription” with “no words spoken,” Olson establishes a central theme of inarticulate history—a record that exists but does not communicate directly, leaving the speaker to infer meaning and context from fragmented symbols and unresolved narratives. The phrase “had to marry one of their daughters” suggests assimilation or forced union, implying that history is not only about grand victories but also about negotiated survival, compromise, and the blending of identities.

The poem’s shifting focus from ancient history to the speaker’s immediate surroundings creates a temporal and thematic tension. As Olson transitions to modern times—“By one nine one three this way, the precepts were dead, the Eggwyptes weren’t passing on anything, we howled”—he portrays a sense of cultural loss and estrangement. Here, “the Eggwyptes” likely symbolizes Egypt, or perhaps ancient civilizations in general, representing the disappearance of foundational wisdom. This line encapsulates a mourning for lost knowledge, with the word “howled” capturing an emotional response to this disconnection. The speaker finds himself isolated from these ancient traditions, left with little more than fragments and echoes of past societies that have failed to transmit their precepts or teachings to the present.

Olson’s use of a red truck as a metaphor for navigation and identity in contemporary life contrasts sharply with the ancient symbols of the first stanza. This “red truck” represents a modern vehicle of purpose and individuality, yet it proves unreliable and ill-suited to the journey. The motor “frozen,” and the speaker’s attempts to shift into “first gear” reflect a sense of inertia and frustration. His desire to “back up” hints at an impulse to reconnect with the past or retrace his steps, but the truck remains immobilized. Olson’s choice to include the playful yet resigned observation that “there wasn’t even any crystal ahead” underscores this feeling of helplessness. Unlike the ancient cultures that may have had omens or guiding symbols, the speaker’s path forward offers little clarity or mysticism. Instead, he finds himself mired in a literal and figurative rut, representing the challenge of forging a meaningful direction in a world stripped of coherent guidance.

As the poem progresses, Olson suggests that the only constants are the earth and its elements—symbolized by “alluvium” and the “sacrifice” to the sun. These natural elements replace the incense and olibanum (a type of ancient incense), signifying a shift from reverence for the divine to reverence for the physical and immediate world. The speaker acknowledges, however, that even this connection to the earth comes with ambiguity and struggle. The phrase “We sacrifice hugely” points to the cost of pursuing modern life without the symbolic tools or spiritual frameworks of earlier societies. In Olson’s world, nature is powerful and tangible, but it lacks the spiritual significance it held for ancient civilizations. The result is a sense of existential dislocation: “Our faces are pressed against walls,” a metaphor that speaks to the limits of individual perception and the human inability to fully grasp the larger historical or spiritual context.

The poem’s concluding lines reinforce the theme of fragmented legacy. Olson writes, “We pick up potsherds where they got no decision,” invoking broken pieces of pottery as symbols of ancient, unresolved conflicts or incomplete narratives. These “potsherds,” or fragments of history, are all that remain of once-whole civilizations. The modern individual is left with only shards, and these remnants have become the “triumphs of our numismatics”—valued artifacts but without intrinsic purpose or wholeness. Olson’s assertion that “we read ‘urn backwards” encapsulates the paradox of this inheritance; we attempt to piece together history, yet the narrative remains distorted and elusive. The backward reading of “urn” could symbolize an inverted understanding of death and legacy, where instead of honoring a continuous tradition, the speaker is left to interpret history in fragments, knowing full well the futility of this endeavor.

Ultimately, "De Los Cantares" underscores Olson’s view of the modern individual as alienated from a cohesive cultural or historical lineage. By juxtaposing ancient references with contemporary experiences, he crafts a poetic landscape where the speaker, caught between the wisdom of the ancients and the demands of the present, faces a loss of purpose and direction. Olson’s poem suggests that while modern individuals inherit the symbols and artifacts of past societies, these fragments offer only partial truths, forcing each person to navigate an uncertain path forward without the clarity or unity once afforded by traditional beliefs. The poem thus becomes a meditation on the struggles of modern existence, where memory and history serve as both guidance and burden, leaving the individual to grapple with a world of fragmented meaning and elusive truths.

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