Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

John Hollander's "Commentary on Yellow" is a contemplative exploration of the color yellow, its symbolic meanings, and its place in the natural and human-made world. Through a mixture of reflective prose and poetic anecdotes, Hollander examines the ephemeral and enduring aspects of yellow, as well as its associations with harvest, decay, and artistic creation.

The poem begins with a reflection on the transience of beauty and life: "All the eternal ornaments set down in dust will never live nor yet give birth. Pale, unenduring petals go to brown and therefore live in the soft mines of earth." This opening suggests that the once-vibrant petals, symbolic of life's fleeting beauty, eventually decay and become part of the earth's cycle. The "soft mines of earth" metaphorically represent the natural process of decomposition and rebirth.

Hollander then moves to the imagery of autumn: "The leaves ripen for the harvest wind, yellow and red. But it is the trees he threshes; it is their branches that will be stored." Here, yellow is associated with the harvest season, a time of both fruition and preparation for dormancy. The wind, personified as a thresher, separates the leaves from the trees, indicating a natural process of change and renewal.

The poem continues with a discussion of light and color: "The dark lines of goldenness afire, shifted leftward by too much hastening away from us, reside in a region more of the red than of the yellow we have delighted in." This line suggests that the beautiful golden hues we enjoy are fleeting, moving toward the red end of the spectrum as they fade. The shifting colors evoke the passage of time and the inevitable transition from vibrancy to decline.

Hollander introduces an anecdote that illustrates the grandeur and complexity of a celebratory procession: "We had backed further and further up the steps as the splendors before us continued. Gleaming processions passed this way and that: distantly, along the great Causeway of white marble, and further away, spiralling slowly to the top of the southern mountain, and nearby, back and forth across the columned bridges, along the ramparts rising above the shining bay." This vivid description captures the spectacle of the event, with its various elements moving in different directions, creating a sense of chaos and magnificence.

As the speaker and others watch the procession, they realize the true nature of the statue they are standing beneath: "We backed further on up the steps below a statue that rose behind us, perhaps their famous chryselephantine Saturn, golden-scythed. The high sun was far from its reddened setting. But it would only be after that lowering crimson, rhymed in the red fires of the Conquerors come that same evening that, as we fled past the base of the statue, past the stone pedestal on which it rested, we should discern it indeed to have been one of Mars, sword curved in the same flat crescent as scythe, gatherer of red rather than of yellow." This moment of recognition underscores the poem's theme of appearances and reality, as well as the symbolic shift from the peaceful harvest (yellow) to war and conquest (red).

The poem concludes with a focus on artistic creation: "Hilda laid on the gold leaf. The copy she was making of 'The Miracle of the Field' flourished and sprouted under her shining care. It was not that it was a copy, nor that it was not even after some lost original. It was that it was hers. This was true plenty." Hilda's work on her art piece, applying gold leaf, symbolizes the act of creation and the value of personal expression. Despite being a copy, the artwork flourishes because it is imbued with her care and individuality, representing true abundance and fulfillment.

"Commentary on Yellow" weaves together themes of natural cycles, the fleeting nature of beauty, and the enduring power of human creativity. Through rich imagery and reflective prose, Hollander invites readers to consider the deeper meanings and associations of yellow, exploring its role in both the natural world and the realm of art. The poem's contemplation of color, decay, and creation offers a nuanced perspective on the complexities of existence and the enduring significance of personal expression.

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