Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Muriel Rukeyser's "From a Play: Publisher's Song" is a satirical and irreverent piece that juxtaposes the mundane and the exalted, using humor to critique the publishing industry and perhaps the commodification of art. The poem's stark imagery and playful repetition serve to underscore the disparity between the everyday necessities of life and the elevated status often ascribed to poetry and literary works.

The poem opens with a scene of contemplation in a mundane setting: "I lie in the bath and I contemplate the toilet-paper: / Scottissue, 1000 sheets." The act of lying in the bath—a moment typically associated with relaxation and introspection—is humorously contrasted with the contemplation of toilet paper. This everyday object, essential yet often overlooked, becomes the focal point of the speaker's musings.

Rukeyser then employs repetition to drive home the absurdity of the comparison: "What a lot of pissin and shittin, / What a lot of pissin and shittin." The use of colloquial language and crude imagery emphasizes the base, bodily functions that the toilet paper is meant to address. This repetition also serves to highlight the sheer volume of waste that such a large quantity of toilet paper represents.

The poem's punchline comes in the next lines: "Enough for the poems of Shelley and Keats— / All the poems of Shelley and Keats." Here, Rukeyser contrasts the sublime poetry of Romantic poets Percy Bysshe Shelley and John Keats with the profane image of toilet paper. This juxtaposition is jarring and thought-provoking, forcing the reader to consider the material realities behind the production and consumption of literature.

By comparing the quantity of toilet paper to the collected works of Shelley and Keats, Rukeyser might be commenting on the perceived value of literary works in a commodified world. The poem suggests that even the most revered poetry is subject to the same commercial and practical considerations as any other product. This irreverent comparison also serves to demystify the process of writing and publishing, reminding the reader that art, like any human endeavor, is grounded in the physical and the everyday.

"From a Play: Publisher's Song" employs humor and satire to critique the publishing industry and the commodification of art. Through its stark and playful imagery, the poem challenges the reader to reconsider the relationship between the exalted world of poetry and the mundane realities of life. Rukeyser's clever use of contrast and repetition underscores the absurdity of this dichotomy, ultimately encouraging a more grounded and realistic appreciation of literary works.

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