Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"What I Saw" by Robert Duncan is a concise yet richly symbolic poem that draws on vivid imagery and mythological references to convey a moment of profound vision or insight. The poem employs concise, visually charged language to evoke a sense of wonder and revelation, intertwining symbols of divinity and the natural world.

The poem begins with the striking image of "The white peacock roosting," which Duncan suggests "might have been Christ." This association immediately elevates the peacock from a mere bird to a symbol of resurrection and divinity, echoing the Christian symbolism where the peacock represents eternal life due to the ancient belief that peacock flesh does not decay. The mention of "featherd robe of Osiris" further deepens this religious imagery, drawing a parallel to Egyptian mythology where Osiris, a god of resurrection and the afterlife, is often depicted with elaborate, regal attire, enhancing the motif of death and rebirth.

The description of the peacock as "the radiant bird, a sword-flash," continues to build on the idea of the bird as a striking, almost otherworldly presence. The metaphor "a sword-flash" conveys a sense of sharpness and brilliance, suggesting a moment of clarity or revelation, as if the sighting of the bird cuts through the ordinary perception to reveal a deeper truth or reality.

Duncan's use of the phrase "percht in the tree" grounds the scene in a specific, tangible location while maintaining the elevated tone set by the previous lines. This setting in a tree could symbolically represent the Tree of Life, a central icon in various mythologies, including the Kabbalistic tradition, which reinforces themes of immortality and divine insight.

The contrast introduced in the lines about "the other, the fumed-glass slide —were like night and day," shifts the poem towards a reflection on duality and perception. The "fumed-glass slide" suggests a lens or a medium that alters or obscures clear vision, paralleling the way our perceptions filter and interpret reality. This contrast between "night and day" emphasizes the stark differences in understanding or seeing, perhaps hinting at the limitations of human perception compared to divine or enlightened sight.

The poem concludes with the image of "the slit of an eye opening in time / vertical to the horizon," which beautifully captures a moment of awakening or awareness. The "slit of an eye" suggests a narrow, focused perspective that suddenly widens, an emblem of new understanding or vision opening up against the continuum of time ("vertical to the horizon"). This line evokes the idea of moments that challenge or change our linear, horizontal understanding of time and existence, proposing a more profound, vertical dive into the depths of spiritual or mystical insight.

Overall, "What I Saw" is a compact exploration of vision, divinity, and revelation, where Duncan skillfully uses the motif of the peacock as a bridge between earthly beauty and profound, transcendent truths. The poem invites readers to consider moments of clarity that interrupt the ordinary flow of time, providing glimpses into the eternal and the divine.

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