Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Charles Olson?s "I?m With You" appears as a layered, meta-reflective commentary on creativity, the act of reading, and the nature of poetic influence. In his fragmented, conversational style, Olson engages with the poetic legacy of John Keats, particularly Keats?s famous sonnet "On First Looking into Chapman?s Homer." However, Olson?s focus is less on Keats?s reverence for Homer and more on the process, context, and almost accidental quality of poetic creation.

The poem opens in a casual, almost conspiratorial tone: "At 10 o?clock Haydon had a copy," suggesting the beginning of a chain of literary and intellectual exchanges. The reference to Haydon, presumably the painter and friend of Keats, anchors the poem in the historical context of the Romantic era. This immediacy is disrupted by Olson’s characteristic leaps in thought, which turn the narrative inward and question the reverence often afforded to canonical works. Olson questions how a poem as celebrated as "On First Looking into Chapman?s Homer" could have been dashed off in a matter of hours—"10 hours / to write such a masterpiece?"—simultaneously marveling at and deconstructing the mythos surrounding poetic genius.

The playful, almost irreverent tone becomes more apparent as Olson critiques the packaging and presentation of literary history: "the tourist guide to Harvard?s / Keats collection says, with a rubber / nose." Here, Olson critiques the institutional commodification of poetry, reducing Keats?s intimate encounter with Homer to a sterile, sanitized narrative for public consumption. The "rubber nose" is a sharp image, implying a falseness or artificiality in how Keats’s legacy is marketed and consumed. The poet’s experience, once profound and immediate, has been trivialized into something akin to a caricature.

As Olson reflects on Keats "looking / into Chapman?s Homer," the repeated phrasing emphasizes the layered nature of poetic inheritance. Keats, in his sonnet, explores his awe at encountering Homer through Chapman’s translation, while Olson, decades later, contemplates Keats’s encounter. This recursive structure mirrors the intergenerational dialogue that defines poetic tradition, where each poet looks into the work of their predecessors, refracting and reinterpreting their discoveries.

Olson?s use of humor and his fragmented syntax challenge the traditional reverence for poetic legacies. The offhand "ha ha" disrupts any attempt to overly sanctify Keats’s act of creation, reminding readers of the humanity and spontaneity that underpin even the most celebrated works. By doing so, Olson democratizes the act of poetic creation, suggesting that masterpieces are not the result of divine inspiration but rather of moments of curiosity, labor, and context.

Yet, Olson?s own reverence shines through his critique. The mere act of engaging with Keats?s process—standing "there looking / into Keats?s Looking"—demonstrates a deep respect for the creative chain that links Keats, Homer, and Chapman to Olson himself. By placing himself within this lineage, Olson acknowledges his place in the continuum of literary tradition, even as he critiques its institutionalization.

The closing question, "Into Chapman?s / Homer?" leaves the reader suspended, echoing Olson’s broader interrogation of poetic influence and meaning. The lack of resolution mirrors the ongoing, unfinished nature of artistic dialogue. Olson does not provide answers or conclusions but instead invites readers to join him in contemplating the layered, multifaceted process of literary engagement.

In "I?m With You", Olson blends humor, critique, and reverence to explore the intersections of literary tradition, personal experience, and institutional framing. The poem resists the monumentalization of poetic genius, instead celebrating the dynamic, human, and often chaotic nature of creative inheritance. By weaving his voice into the dialogue between Keats and Homer, Olson underscores poetry’s capacity to transcend time and connect individuals across centuries, even as he critiques the systems that seek to commodify and control that connection.

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