Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Returning Native" by John Updike is a reflective and descriptive poem that explores the physical and emotional landscape of Pennsylvania as contrasted with New England. The poem weaves together observations about nature, the passage of time, and the essence of place to evoke a deep sense of nostalgia and reconnection with one's roots. Updike's rich imagery and thoughtful comparisons draw the reader into a nuanced examination of the environment and its subtle influences on identity and memory.

The poem opens with a comparison of Pennsylvania to New England, focusing on the differences in climate and geology that characterize the two regions. Updike notes the rocks in Pennsylvania are "Redder, and gritty, and piled up here and there," immediately setting a tone of distinct, vivid physicality that contrasts with New England's colder, rockier terrain. This introduction serves as a springboard into deeper explorations of the landscape.

As Updike describes the change in foliage from New England to Pennsylvania, noting the prevalence of "tulip poplar, black walnut, and locust" over "hard maple, hickory, and oak," he captures the subtle shifts in ecosystem that mark geographic and climatic transitions. The overgrown wild-grape vines and greenbrier with "anxious small claws" further paint a picture of a lush, if slightly untamed, natural world, full of life and ongoing natural processes.

The sensory details continue to accumulate as Updike describes the forest floor in November, which "smells like a rotting animal." This vivid description adds a layer of decay and richness to the landscape, suggesting fertility and the cyclical nature of life and death in the forest ecosystem. The atmosphere of the place is described as "genial pulpiness," with a sky that is "soft with haze and paper-gray." These elements combine to create a soft, muted backdrop against which life in Pennsylvania unfolds—a sharp contrast to the harsher, crisper climates and settings of New England.

The poem shifts to a broader, more introspective focus as Updike reflects on the people and the cities of Pennsylvania. The prolonged vowels of the inhabitants' speech and the "deep-dyed blur" that softens the bleak cities weave human elements into the fabric of the landscape. Here, Updike hints at a deeper, almost ineffable quality to the place—a "secret" or "death-defying joke" that the locals carry with them, an intrinsic understanding or attitude shaped by the land and life around them.

Towards the end, the poem becomes more personal and reflective. The speaker admits to once knowing the secret of this place, a secret linked to survival and resilience, embodied in the image of suet hung for chickadees—a sustenance that is both a reminder of death (slaughterhouse) and a source of life (feeding the birds). The final lines of the poem, with the "dog's gaze, loving but bewildered," encapsulate a return to one's origins filled with love but also confusion, a complex emotional homecoming that blends familiarity with the estrangement of time and change.

"Returning Native" is thus a powerful meditation on place, memory, and identity. It beautifully captures the essence of Pennsylvania through detailed natural imagery and a deep, resonant connection to the land that persists even as memory fades. Updike's poem invites readers to consider how deeply our sense of self is tied to the landscapes we call home, and how returning to these places can evoke a profound, if sometimes perplexing, reacquaintance with our past selves.

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