Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Company of Men," Charles Olson presents a meditation on masculinity, camaraderie, and authenticity through contrasting images of fishermen and poets, specifically honoring fellow poet Phil Whalen. The poem juxtaposes two “companies of men”: the immediate, tangible presence of a fisherman catching "red fish," who is within Olson’s direct view, and the more abstract, far-reaching "East India Company of poets" whom Olson doesn’t know personally. This duality provides a framework to explore ideas of value, labor, and the role of art.

Olson begins by describing the fisherman’s visceral work of “bringing in red fish,” a literal, physical task that contrasts sharply with the poet’s craft. The fish symbolize both livelihood and the tactile results of physical labor. Olson appears to admire the fisherman’s straightforward engagement with nature and his ability to produce something valuable—fish—that can be measured and exchanged. This grounded approach to life and work underscores Olson’s theme of authentic engagement with the world, setting it against the abstract intellectual pursuits that characterize his “company of poets.” The poets, represented as “the far-flung East India Company,” evoke a sense of expansion, exploration, and perhaps even a subtle critique of poetry as an “exotic” trade with less immediately apparent value than fishing.

In exploring the function and value of poetic work, Olson writes, “I punch the music I want out on rolls of paper / to be played on anyone’s parlor harmonium.” This line conveys the poet’s power to create through language, shaping music and meaning. However, the artificiality implied in “parlor harmonium” suggests that poetry, though crafted with intention, risks detachment from the tangible world of fish and labor. The rolls of punched paper symbolize poetry’s removal from immediate experience; unlike the fisherman’s yield, the poet’s work is often abstract, dependent on interpretation and reception rather than direct utility. Olson’s tone here suggests an internal debate about whether poetry, in its delicate and sometimes obscure craft, can offer the same “usableness” or immediate worth as fishing.

As Olson continues, he touches on the theme of repetition in nature versus human creativity. He writes, “nature runs to pattern; man, said Lawrence, cannot afford to repeat.” This line hints at an ongoing tension: while nature’s cyclical patterns ensure stability, human beings, particularly artists, cannot simply repeat what has been done if they wish to progress. Olson cites D.H. Lawrence to emphasize that creativity is valuable only when it breaks from repetition and familiarity. Olson thus seems to argue that while nature’s predictability sustains life, human value comes from innovation and departure from the mundane, a subtle suggestion that poetry, though intangible, may achieve value by forging new expressions.

The poem then moves to the idea of “True Numbers” as markers of “usableness,” an apparent reference to concrete, quantifiable work—the fisherman’s yield that “pays the bills.” Olson suggests that the fisherman’s success is defined by the tangible, practical results of his labor, “the catch repeats but the generosity can come only from those who have fish.” In contrast, the poet operates in a more nebulous economy, his value perhaps less easily quantified but still rooted in the “True Numbers” of language and form. Olson juxtaposes these notions to question whether poetic expression can hold value comparable to practical work, suggesting that authenticity—either in fishing or in poetry—must involve a commitment to a “true” form of creation, one that is both usable and generative.

Olson’s reference to Phil Whalen, a poet associated with the Beat Generation, introduces a personal touch and extends the meditation on authenticity. Whalen’s offering of “a stalk torn off a rhododendron in the public park” as a gift to his girl implies a gesture of simplicity and spontaneity, an unadorned act that embodies genuine affection. Olson appears to celebrate this gesture as a counter to materialism and conformity, aligning Whalen’s lifestyle with the natural ease and authenticity of the fisherman. This small act echoes the fisherman’s unpretentious labor, where worth lies not in grand gestures but in grounded, sincere action.

Olson contrasts this sincerity with the financial world, mentioning figures like John Law and Humphreys, who represent economic ambition and collapse. By referencing the speculative South Sea Bubble and Oaxaca’s “Bubble,” Olson criticizes the artificiality and transience of commercial ventures that inflate and inevitably burst. This serves as a critique of the societal structures that value wealth and superficial gain over authentic contribution, suggesting that the “company of men” should be defined by purpose and integrity rather than profit or pretense.

In the poem’s closing lines, Olson shifts back to the fisherman, who “whips out his pay and says, how does this smell?” in response to his wife’s complaints about his odor. This moment encapsulates the poem’s main assertion: that true value, whether in fishing or poetry, is grounded in honest, tangible work. The fisherman’s defense of his labor, even in the face of discomfort, reinforces Olson’s admiration for those who dedicate themselves to meaningful, often overlooked work.

"Company of Men" is a contemplative work that interrogates what it means to create value and live authentically. Olson juxtaposes the fisherman’s practical labor with the poet’s more abstract contributions, probing whether art can hold the same “usableness” as physical work. Ultimately, Olson suggests that authenticity is found not in grandeur or commercial success, but in sincere, grounded action—a message that aligns him both with the fishermen of Gloucester and with the poets of his generation who sought to push the boundaries of American poetry.

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