Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

David Lehman’s "The Difference Between Pepsi and Coke" is a sharp, ironic character study that juxtaposes the trivial and the profound, the personal and the political, within a seemingly casual free-verse structure. The poem consists of a single stanza, structured as a list of observations, each beginning with a verb or a short phrase that introduces a new facet of the subject’s personality. The rhythm of the poem is driven by this accumulation of details, creating a breathless, almost cinematic montage of a life that is at once flawed and fascinating.

The poem begins with a stark admission of weakness: "Can?t swim; uses credit cards and pills to combat / intolerable feelings of inadequacy;" This immediately sets the tone of self-doubt and modern anxiety, portraying the subject as someone who relies on artificial means to cope with internal struggles. The next few lines continue in this vein, revealing a man who fears boredom, engages in multiple infidelities, and reacts impulsively in both financial and personal matters: "Buys when the market is too high, and panics during / the inevitable descent." These details paint a picture of a man whose life is dictated by impulse rather than careful planning, reinforcing the theme of instability.

Yet, Lehman complicates this portrayal by introducing moments of unexpected depth and awareness. "Still, Pop can always tell the subtle difference / between Pepsi and Coke," suggests an odd kind of discernment—while seemingly trivial, this skill implies an attunement to fine distinctions, an appreciation for nuance. The subject is not merely a man lost in self-destructive habits; he is also someone capable of aesthetic and intellectual refinement. This contrast is heightened by the next lines: "Has defined the darkness of red at dawn, memorized / the splash of poppies along / Deserted railway tracks." Here, the subject exhibits a poetic sensibility, a keen observational eye that suggests a deeper, perhaps even artistic, engagement with the world.

Lehman further complicates this figure by revealing a political consciousness: "And opposed the war in Vietnam / months before the students, / Years before the politicians and press." This moment positions the subject as ahead of his time, an individual with moral clarity, resisting the easy path of conformity. His ability to "solve the mystery of bloodshot eyes" and "calculate the heaviness and height / of the local heavens" suggests an intuitive grasp of both human suffering and cosmic vastness, reinforcing the theme of contradiction—he is both reckless and perceptive, self-absorbed and socially aware.

The final lines add yet more dimensions: "Needs no prompting to give money to his kids; speaks / French fluently, and tourist German; / Sings Schubert in the shower; plays pinball in Paris; / knows the new maid steals, and forgives her." These details balance sophistication with playfulness—he is someone who appreciates high culture (Schubert), but also engages in leisure (pinball in Paris). His ability to "forgive" the maid for stealing adds a layer of generosity, suggesting a man who, despite his personal failings, possesses a fundamental understanding of human frailty.

Structurally, the poem flows without punctuation at the end of most lines, allowing each thought to blend into the next. This fluidity mirrors the contradictions in the subject’s character—his strengths and weaknesses are inseparable, forming a complex, multidimensional personality. The lack of a conventional narrative or resolution leaves the reader with an impression rather than a judgment, reinforcing the poem’s theme that identity is fragmented, layered, and ultimately indefinable.

In "The Difference Between Pepsi and Coke," Lehman presents a portrait of a flawed yet captivating individual, using irony and juxtaposition to challenge the notion of coherence in a person’s character. The poem’s title itself reflects this tension—while the difference between Pepsi and Coke is slight, it is also a distinction that some take seriously. In the same way, the subject of the poem is both ordinary and extraordinary, a bundle of contradictions that resists easy categorization. Through its list-like structure and oscillation between humor and profundity, the poem ultimately suggests that identity is not a fixed essence but a shifting interplay of traits, habits, and impulses.

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