Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Styx" by Robert Duncan is a profound exploration of mythological and geological time, connecting the ancient Greek myth of the river Styx to the earth's geological processes and human existential experience. Through rich imagery and symbolic language, Duncan delves into the themes of memory, time, and the eternal cycle of life and death.

The poem begins by describing the Styx, a river from Greek mythology that represents the boundary between the Earth and the Underworld, as a fraction of Okeanos—the primordial ocean that encircles the world. This connection positions the Styx not merely as a mythological river but as a fundamental part of the world's natural system, tied to the cycles of water on Earth. The imagery of "pure water under earth" suggests an untouched, pristine element that is vital yet hidden, a powerful force shaping the landscape in silence and darkness.

Duncan's depiction of the water as it "pours from rock face, tears stream from the caverns and clefts," and "down-running, carving wondrous ways in basalt resistance," evokes the relentless and often unseen power of nature to shape and alter the physical world. This process of erosion and transformation is paralleled to the passage of time itself, "cutting deep as they go into layers of time-layered Gaia where She sleeps"—a reference to the earth goddess, emphasizing the Earth's dynamic, living qualities.

As the poem progresses, Duncan focuses on the dual nature of the Styx as both life-giving and poisonous. The contrast between the "tenth part of bright clear Okeanos" and its transformation into "poisonous depths, the black water" reflects the dual nature of water as both essential for life and a symbol of death in the mythological Styx, which souls must cross to enter the realm of the dead.

The line "Styx this carver of caverns beneath us is" reiterates the river's power as an active, shaping force, carving out its own path through the earth. This metaphor extends to the spiritual and psychological realms, suggesting that just as the river shapes the landscape, so too do the darker, unseen forces in our own lives shape our identities and destinies.

The imagery of the well and the drawing of "black water, pure and cold" from its depths ties the mythical to the everyday, suggesting a connection between the ancient stories of the Styx and the human use of water as a resource. The echo of voices and the resonance of water in the well symbolize the way our ancestors' knowledge and experiences reverberate through time, influencing the present.

Duncan uses the poem to meditate on the deep time of geological and evolutionary history, noting that "Three thousand years we have recited its virtue out of Hesiod," and asking, "Is it twenty-five thousand since the ice withdrew from the lands and we came forth from the realm of caverns where the river beneath the earth we knew we go back to?" These lines reflect humanity's long-standing relationship with and dependence on natural forces, as well as our relatively recent emergence as a species within the vast expanse of geological time.

The poem concludes with a reflection on the depth of the well and the depth of human understanding, "Fifty million years deep—but our knowing deepens—time deepens—this still water we thirst for in dreams we dread." This closing captures the awe and fear that the natural world, particularly its more mysterious and powerful aspects, inspires in us. It underscores a fundamental human attraction to and fear of the unknown depths, both literal and metaphorical, that define our existence.

"Styx" is a powerful poem that weaves together mythology, nature, and human experience, challenging the reader to consider the profound connections between our inner lives and the external forces that shape the world.

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