Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

John Wieners’ “As Preface to Transmutations” is a poignant elegy to youth, friendship, and the irrevocable passage of time. The poem is a mosaic of memories, steeped in a bittersweet longing for moments that, though transient, remain vividly etched in the speaker’s mind. Wieners masterfully intertwines personal history with broader reflections on change, loss, and the enduring power of poetry.

The poem begins with a direct address to “Steve,” grounding it in an intimate conversation with a friend from the past. The opening line—“How long ago Steve, it was we walked along Arlington Street throwing words to the wind”—conveys a sense of wistfulness. Arlington Street becomes a symbol of shared youth and creativity, a place where words and ideas were as free and unbound as the wind. The repetition of “before” in “before junk, before jail” underscores the innocence and simplicity of that time, contrasting it with the darker realities that followed.

Wieners captures the fragmentary nature of memory, moving between the past and the present with a fluidity that mirrors the mind’s own recollection process. “Gone our lovers. / Gone Arlington, Beacon and Charles / Streets” lists losses with a stark simplicity that heightens their emotional weight. These once-familiar streets, emblematic of shared experiences and youthful vibrancy, are now distant and inaccessible, existing only in memory.

The poem's shift to San Francisco in “I look now out a back window in San Francisco” situates the speaker in the present, far from the world of Arlington Street. The reference to “6 months in Danvers” alludes to a period of institutionalization or confinement, a detail that adds layers of struggle and resilience to the narrative. This interjection of hardship contrasts sharply with the earlier sense of freedom, emphasizing the inexorable pull of time and circumstance.

Wieners’ yearning for stability and simplicity is palpable in the refrain-like lines: “Oh for a blade of grass. / Oh for a room with the rent paid. / Oh for a roof.” These desires, so modest yet profound, speak to the fragility of life and the basic human need for security and belonging. The mention of “cobblestones” and “the camera” evokes a vivid, almost cinematic image of the past, where moments were captured and preserved even as life continued to move forward.

The image of “Those old elms bend over / the street and form an arch / that we walk under” is both literal and metaphorical. The elms form a protective canopy, a sacred space under which the speaker and Steve once walked together, united by their shared experiences and creative endeavors. The phrase “Sad priests in the 20th century” encapsulates their role as poets and chroniclers of their time, burdened by the weight of their observations and the inevitability of loss.

The poem’s final lines—“We chalked our words on red brick / and left them for the rain. / It is not kind. / Nor time.”—are a powerful meditation on impermanence. The act of chalking words on brick suggests both the ephemeral nature of their creations and their attempt to leave a mark, however fleeting. The rain, symbolizing time and change, washes away their efforts, underscoring the transitory nature of life and art. The blunt statement—“It is not kind. / Nor time.”—is a stark acknowledgment of the harshness of reality, where neither memory nor poetry can fully resist the erasure brought by time.

At its core, “As Preface to Transmutations” is a deeply personal reflection on the intersection of memory, loss, and the passage of time. Wieners captures the ache of nostalgia, the struggle for stability, and the enduring hope that poetry might preserve something of what is inevitably lost. The poem’s raw emotion, vivid imagery, and fragmented structure mirror the complexity of human experience, offering readers a poignant glimpse into the poet’s inner world.

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