Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

May Swenson’s “Exchange” is a lyrical meditation on transformation, interconnectedness, and the dissolution of boundaries between the self and the natural world. Through a series of fluid, evocative images, the poem explores the idea of exchanging human identity for a deeper integration with nature’s rhythms and elements.

The poem begins with a striking declaration: "Now my body flat, / the ground breathes, / I’ll be the grass." This opening immediately blurs the distinction between the speaker’s body and the earth. By aligning their breath with the earth’s and imagining themselves as grass, the speaker signals a desire to transcend the limitations of individuality and merge with the collective vitality of the natural world. The use of "flat" suggests both physical stillness and surrender, as if the speaker is willingly relinquishing their human form to become part of the landscape.

Swenson’s imagery becomes increasingly immersive as the poem progresses. "Populous and mixed is mind. / Earth take thought, / my mouth be moss" suggests a deliberate exchange between the speaker’s thoughts and the earth’s essence. The phrase "populous and mixed" evokes the complexity and diversity of human consciousness, which the speaker offers to the earth in exchange for becoming moss—an organism intimately connected to the soil. This exchange underscores the speaker’s longing for simplicity and integration, a shedding of mental clutter in favor of a harmonious relationship with the natural world.

The next lines, "Field go walking, / I a disk / will look down with seeming eye," introduce a striking shift in perspective. The speaker envisions themselves as a "disk," possibly the sun or moon, observing the earth from above. This transformation reflects Swenson’s interest in the fluidity of identity and the potential to inhabit multiple perspectives. The "seeming eye" suggests a detached, almost cosmic viewpoint, emphasizing the speaker’s transcendence of their human form and their aspiration to embody time and elemental forces.

The concept of time takes center stage in the line, "I will be time / and study to be evening. / You world, be clock." Here, the speaker merges with the abstract force of time, embodying its cyclical and inevitable nature. By "studying to be evening," the speaker aligns themselves with a specific phase of the day, symbolizing transition, closure, and reflection. The demand for the world to "be clock" reinforces the interconnectedness of time and existence, suggesting that both the self and the world are participants in a shared temporal rhythm.

The poem then shifts to a declaration of permanence: "I will stand, / a tree here, / never to know another spot." This image conveys rootedness and stability, contrasting with the fluid transformations described earlier. By becoming a tree, the speaker commits to a singular location, embodying a connection to the earth that is both physical and metaphysical. This act of grounding also reflects a surrender to the inevitability of time and place, reinforcing the theme of acceptance.

In the final stanza, Swenson introduces elemental forces—wind, birds, and water—inviting them into the speaker’s transformative journey. "Wind be motion, / birds be passion, / water invite me to your bed" represents a complete embrace of nature’s energies and impulses. Wind symbolizes movement and change, birds embody emotional intensity and vitality, and water represents renewal and intimacy. The invitation to water’s "bed" suggests both surrender and union, a final act of dissolving into nature’s flow.

The poem’s structure, with its compact stanzas and measured rhythm, mirrors the contemplative tone of the speaker’s journey. Swenson’s use of repetition and parallelism—such as "I’ll be" and "be"—reinforces the theme of exchange and interconnectedness. The sparse punctuation allows the images to flow seamlessly, evoking the organic processes the speaker seeks to emulate.

“Exchange” is ultimately a celebration of the permeability between self and nature. Through its vivid imagery and philosophical underpinnings, the poem invites readers to reconsider the boundaries between human identity and the larger ecological and cosmic forces at work. Swenson’s vision of transformation is not one of loss but of integration, suggesting that true fulfillment lies in recognizing and embracing our place within the intricate web of existence. The poem resonates as a lyrical exploration of unity, offering a profound meditation on the cycles of life, time, and renewal.

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