Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"The Origin of Laughter" by John Updike is a poetic meditation on the developmental and emotional processes through which a human being first encounters and learns laughter. Updike artfully narrates the journey from the comfort of the womb to the complex interactions of the outside world, highlighting the foundational bond between mother and child as the crucial context for this discovery.

The poem begins in the intimate and protective space of the womb, where the fetus is "hunched in the dark beneath his mother’s heart." This initial setting is one of comfort and familiarity, emphasizing the deep, primal connection between the mother and her unborn child. The fetus, described as sleeping and listening, is attuned to the rhythms and sounds of the mother's body, which forms the earliest sensory environment.

Upon birth, "dropped into light," the child continues to seek comfort in the familiarity of his mother's heartbeat, now from the outside, "leaning his ear against the breast / Where the known rhythm holds its secret pace." This transition from the womb to the world is portrayed as a continuity of connection rather than a break, suggesting that the emotional and psychological foundations laid in utero continue to shape the child’s experiences.

As the child grows, the development of perception begins with the eyes, a symbol of recognition and social connection. The process of recognizing and responding to faces is described as "A face is gathered, starting with the eyes." Initially, any simplistic representation of a face—a mere "two painted dots on cardboard"—can elicit a smile, underscoring the innate human tendency to seek out and respond to faces.

However, the emotional depth of this interaction quickly narrows to a specific attachment: "Soon / No face but one will serve: the mother’s." This line highlights the significance of the mother’s face, not only as a source of comfort and love but as the primary mirror in which the child begins to understand the world and himself. The mother's face becomes a "mist, a cloud that clearly understands," a poetic depiction of the idealized view children often have of their parents, enveloping clarity and benevolence in a sometimes uncertain world.

The moment of laughter's origin is dramatically and tenderly portrayed as emerging from a playful yet startling interaction: "She teases him, pretends to let him drop." The child’s initial impulse might be to cry, a natural response to the perceived threat of falling. However, his trust in his mother’s goodness transforms this moment of fear into one of joy: "He wants to cry but knows that she is good." The laughter that follows is thus a complex emotional response that encompasses trust, love, relief, and the joy of safety restored.

The poem beautifully concludes by reflecting on the synthesis of these intense emotions and the physical sensation of being momentarily at risk: "Out of this sudden mix, this terror rimmed / With necessary flesh, a laugh is born." The phrase "necessary flesh" underscores the essential role of physical and emotional closeness with the mother in forming not just the physical but also the psychological and emotional foundations of the child's life.

In "The Origin of Laughter," Updike eloquently captures the profound and beautiful complexity of early human development, where the simplest interactions between mother and child are laden with the potential to shape fundamental aspects of the human experience, such as the capacity for laughter. The poem invites reflection on how such elemental moments of connection are foundational not only to individual development but to the essence of human social and emotional life.

POEM TEXT: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1968/06/the-origin-of-laughter-after-desmond-morris/659208/

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