Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "For Cy Twombly Faced with His First Chicago & N.Y. Shows," Charles Olson addresses Cy Twombly, the American artist known for his expressive and often cryptic mark-making. Olson’s poem reflects on the intense, almost primal energy in Twombly’s work, drawing connections to ancient imagery and elemental forces. This piece conveys both admiration and a sense of kinship with Twombly, linking his creative process to historical and mythic frameworks that explore creation, endurance, and transformation.

Olson invokes Ashurbanipal, an Assyrian king renowned for his power and historical legacy, positioning Twombly within a lineage of monumental creators. This association with Ashurbanipal alludes to a potent, almost sovereign ability to shape and influence, much as Twombly’s works possess an elemental, transformative energy. By referring to the “stern-view of a whaler,” Olson also evokes the imagery of masculinity and conservation, contrasting it with the creative, generative qualities Twombly’s art expresses. Twombly’s work, according to Olson, bridges these dualities—both conserving and generating, embodying the power to shape form while acknowledging the underlying forces of creation.

The poem’s language of geology—“black stone,” “cement of the earth's rocks,” and “the cooling came”—suggests an elemental process in Twombly’s art, likening his creative flow to volcanic or geological activity. Olson describes paint in Twombly’s hands as something that “heats, or is caused to flow,” implying that Twombly’s art is both an active force and one guided by greater, underlying energies. His imagery emphasizes not only the artist’s control but also the surrender to materials, as paint “flows” naturally in Twombly’s hands, embodying the raw, unrefined forces that mirror the world’s original, foundational energy. Through this language, Olson acknowledges Twombly’s creative process as one that channels a primordial power.

Olson’s reference to “what the A hides, the abstract of what each of us bends the eye around” speaks to the abstraction in Twombly’s work, which often defies easy interpretation. The “A” can signify the beginning, an origin point, or the abstract unknown, which is essential yet elusive. Twombly’s work invites the viewer to “bend the eye around” its shapes and markings, pushing them to engage with the abstract in a way that transcends concrete representation. This abstraction becomes the mystery or hidden core of creation itself—a powerful force that each observer must navigate to connect with the art on a personal level.

Olson’s exploration of Twombly’s art in "For Cy Twombly Faced with His First Chicago & N.Y. Shows" ultimately reflects on the ancient, elemental forces that art can encapsulate. His language, dense with references to geology, myth, and abstract concepts, underscores the depth and raw power Olson sees in Twombly’s work. By placing Twombly’s artistry in dialogue with ancient history and primal energies, Olson acknowledges the artist’s ability to reach beyond modern constraints and tap into something timeless and universal. In doing so, the poem celebrates Twombly not just as a painter but as a channel for the forces that shape and sustain the world.

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