Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "The Buddy Bolden Cylinder," William Matthews contemplates the mythical recording of Buddy Bolden, a figure in jazz history whose music has not survived in any recorded form. The poem opens with an acknowledgment of the cylinder's nonexistence, yet Matthews indulges in imagining its discovery. He envisions it carefully wrapped, either dramatically in a shawl or bridal veil or more mundanely in an old newspaper, the *Daily Picayune*. This imaginary artifact becomes a potent symbol of lost history and unfulfilled potential, likened to "an unstaled, unhatched egg" containing a "legendary tone" waiting to be released.

Matthews's use of the egg metaphor emphasizes the potential and fragility of Bolden's music, encapsulated and preserved, ready to emerge with the "right touch." This imagined release would allow Bolden's sound, preserved "in the amber of neglect," to resonate again. The poet imagines the sound pealing "across the waters," specifically referencing the Mississippi River, a significant symbol in American music and culture, known for its historical and cultural associations with the South and the development of jazz.

The Mississippi River, described as "sinuous and filth-rich," serves as a metaphor for the complex and often gritty reality of life and music in the region. Matthews recounts the legend of Bolden's powerful playing, allegedly so loud and sweet it could be heard from across the river in Gretna. The mention of a "moan in it like you were in church" evokes the deep emotional resonance and spiritual undertones of Bolden's music, a characteristic that could captivate and stir audiences, particularly women who were moved by his "old, slow, low-down blues."

However, the poem grounds this romanticized vision by returning to the stark reality: the cylinder "doesn't exist, it never did." Matthews reflects on the nature of Bolden's legacy, acknowledging that much of what is believed about his music is speculative, "a melancholy gossip." The poem thus critiques the romanticization and mythologization of historical figures, particularly in the absence of concrete evidence like recordings. Bolden, who spent the last twenty-four years of his life in the Jackson Insane Asylum in Louisiana, becomes a tragic figure haunted by his own mind. Matthews suggests that the "voices of people who spooked him before he got there" continued to haunt him, contributing to his mental decline.

The poem concludes with a reflection on "ghostly music," expanding the metaphor to encompass all the intangible and ephemeral aspects of art and memory. Just as wind is invisible but its effects are visible in the trembling of leaves, the legacy of Bolden's music, and the myths surrounding it, persist in the cultural consciousness. Matthews draws attention to the ways in which these intangible elements—the stories, the legends, the unrecorded performances—continue to influence and move people, even without a physical record.

"The Buddy Bolden Cylinder" is a meditation on loss, memory, and the elusive nature of artistic legacy. Matthews captures the poignancy of an imagined history that can never be fully realized or recovered, using the myth of a lost recording to explore broader themes of impermanence and the power of myth. The poem deftly navigates the tension between what is known and what is imagined, offering a nuanced commentary on the nature of cultural memory and the ways in which stories and legends sustain themselves through time, despite the absence of tangible evidence. Through its rich imagery and thoughtful reflections, the poem evokes a deep sense of nostalgia and reverence for the ephemeral qualities of music and memory.

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