Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

David Wagoner’s “Walking in the Snow” is a playful yet deeply contemplative poem that navigates the interplay between mundane reality and poetic aspiration. Through its wry tone and deliberate defiance of conventional poetic expectations, the poem critiques traditional notions of aesthetic refinement while celebrating the unpredictable, raw nature of human experience. Using the framework of an imagined stroll through a wintry landscape, Wagoner meditates on themes of love, spontaneity, and the constraints of literary formalism.

The poem’s opening lines set the stage for its irreverent tone: “Let us put on appropriate galoshes, letting them flap open, / And walk in the snow.” This direct invocation humorously contrasts with the elevated, ethereal imagery often associated with poems about snow. By emphasizing the practicality of “appropriate galoshes” and the mundane act of walking, Wagoner signals a departure from the romantic idealism of traditional nature poetry. The inclusion of the parenthetical remark about the flapping galoshes adds a layer of humor, grounding the poem in a playful realism.

The setting, initially described with subdued irony, becomes a backdrop for reflection. The “nearest snowman” with its “eyes... fallen out” and its posture “slump[ed] in its shadow” is an evocative image of decay and impermanence. The description of the “slush at the curb” as “gray as the breasts of gulls” injects a jarring yet vivid simile, blending the natural with the urban and disrupting any expectations of pristine wintry beauty. This imagery reinforces the poem’s commitment to confronting the messy, unidealized aspects of life.

As the poem progresses, the act of walking becomes a metaphor for navigating the unpredictabilities of love and existence. The speaker acknowledges the bleakness of the landscape—“the broken end of winter”—and the oppressive weather, where “no matter what may be falling out of the sky / Or blowing sideways / Against our hearts,” they resolve to “make up our own weather.” This declaration is both defiant and tender, encapsulating the resilience and creativity that love inspires. The idea of “making up our own weather” suggests a rejection of external circumstances and a commitment to forging meaning and joy in partnership.

The poem’s central tension arises from its self-awareness as a literary construct. The speaker’s invitation to “say something inappropriate” acknowledges a desire to break free from the constraints of decorum and convention. The characterization of such an utterance as “flat / As a scholar’s ear” critiques the overly analytical and sanitized tendencies of academic interpretation. By extension, the poem questions the value of adhering to traditional poetic forms or themes, opting instead for a raw, unfiltered expression of life’s absurdities.

The insistence that this “can’t be a poem” highlights the poem’s meta-commentary on its own existence. Wagoner humorously aligns the act of poetry with the very act he claims disqualifies it—“something loud / And pointless, leading nowhere.” This self-deprecating remark suggests that the value of poetry lies not in its adherence to lofty ideals or structured meaning but in its ability to capture the messy, meandering nature of human experience. The description of the couple’s footprints “ducking and draking in the snow / One after the other” reinforces this theme. The erratic paths they carve mirror the unpredictable course of life and love, emphasizing movement and presence over destination or purpose.

Structurally, the poem resists traditional constraints, favoring a conversational and fragmented flow that mirrors the spontaneity of the walk it describes. Its casual tone and deliberate rejection of poetic pretension invite the reader to engage with its humor and humanity. At the same time, the poem subtly subverts its own critique of poetry by demonstrating how even the mundane and “inappropriate” can be elevated through the act of artistic expression.

In conclusion, “Walking in the Snow” by David Wagoner is both a parody of and homage to the poetic tradition. It challenges the reader to rethink conventional definitions of poetry and to embrace the ordinary, the imperfect, and the absurd as essential components of life and art. Through its blend of humor, vivid imagery, and reflective depth, the poem celebrates the transformative power of love and imagination, even amid the most unpoetic circumstances. In its apparent refusal to conform, the poem reveals its true brilliance, reminding us that beauty often lies in the unexpected and the unconventional.

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