Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Alicia Suskin Ostriker's poem "Portrait of a Man" is a delicate, intimate portrayal of a moment between a woman and her partner, capturing the complexity of their relationship and the silent, powerful undercurrents of their shared life. The poem is a study in observation, as the speaker, presumably the woman, carefully watches and reflects on the man she loves, creating a mental and emotional portrait that reveals as much about the speaker as it does about the man.

The poem begins with a straightforward description: "You wear glasses. / You wear blue flannel pajamas." This simplicity sets the tone for the rest of the poem, which is marked by its focus on the ordinary details of domestic life. The man is engaged in a mundane activity, "doing calculations on an envelope," a task that hints at his intellectual nature and the quiet intensity of his mind. The light from the lamp shining on his hands adds a sense of warmth and intimacy to the scene, emphasizing the close, almost tender way the speaker observes him.

Ostriker then delves into the man's internal world, describing his "work, that you love / With a mad, faunlike, hidden mind." The comparison of his mind to that of a faun—wild, elusive, and perhaps a bit mysterious—suggests a deep connection to ancient, almost mythical sources of knowledge, such as Pythagoras, Al-Jabr, and Descartes. This association with great thinkers from history underscores the man's intellectual passion and his pursuit of clarity through his work. Yet, there is also a sense of distance, as if the speaker acknowledges that part of him is inaccessible, even to her.

The poem then shifts to a more physical observation: "Your profile, toward me, is not / Smooth as in boyhood." This acknowledgment of aging, of the changes in his appearance, is accepted with a resigned "Very well." The speaker seems to accept the passage of time, both in the man's physical form and in their relationship. The mention of the "heating system hums and rattles / Against the November weather" further evokes a sense of the encroaching winter, a metaphor for the inevitable challenges and coldness that life can bring.

Music, specifically a "Ravel piano piece," plays in the background, adding to the atmosphere of the room. The music's "intangible turbulences" mirror the emotional and intellectual undercurrents present between the couple, suggesting that while everything on the surface appears calm and routine, there is a deeper, more complex emotional landscape at play. The children, "nested birds," sleep upstairs, symbolizing the continuation of life and the passage of time, as they are "Not yet formed, but forming, becoming strangers." The idea of the children becoming strangers as they grow and change underscores the inevitability of distance and transformation within even the most intimate of relationships.

The speaker reveals her own inner world with the line, "As for me, man, I'm watching your loneliness." This is a powerful moment in the poem, where the speaker confronts the emotional distance that can exist even in close relationships. The loneliness she perceives in him may also reflect her own, as she grapples with the changes time has wrought on both of them. The act of "Making a portrait of you" becomes a way for the speaker to understand and perhaps connect with him on a deeper level, even as she acknowledges the winter approaching with "its wet black wings," a metaphor for the hardships and challenges they both face.

The poem ends on a note of acceptance and continuation. The man's hands, "serviceably" outlined by the light, continue their work, and the speaker observes his "invisible dance," his "faithful striving for clarity." The poem leaves us with the image of the man returning to his calculations, "Having cogitated, you begin again to write," suggesting that despite the complexities and emotional undercurrents, life goes on, work continues, and so does their relationship.

"Portrait of a Man" is a beautifully crafted meditation on the intimacy of everyday life, the passage of time, and the quiet, often unspoken complexities of love. Through her careful observation and reflection, Ostriker captures the profound depth of ordinary moments, revealing the layered emotions and thoughts that lie beneath the surface of a long-term relationship.

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