Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Sensing Duncan" by Clayton Eshleman offers a complex interplay of themes including creativity, memory, loss, and transformation, woven through with literary and natural imagery. The poem invokes a thoughtful dialogue, blending influences from other poets and integrating deep philosophical inquiries into the nature of existence and artistic expression.

The opening of the poem introduces a conversation about Emily Dickinson, a poet known for her depth and enigmatic style, which sets the stage for a discussion on literary engagement and the personal impact of poetry: "do you know this poem by Emily Dickinson?" This question posed by a woman who has experienced poetry primarily through bodily sensation, "savored with her body only a few lines of the relations that stream from Eden," suggests a profound, almost visceral connection to poetry that goes beyond intellectual comprehension to something more innate and sensory.

Eshleman's response, "I've read all 1470!" signifies not just a boast of literary completion but a deep dive into the vast sea of Dickinson's work, implying a comprehensive engagement with her poetic universe. The mention of feeling "the hand smooth out the sand, erasing careful finger-drawn lines of play," metaphorically describes the transient nature of creation and interpretation in poetry—how easily the tangible can be altered or erased, paralleling the ephemeral nature of human experiences and relationships.

The poem then shifts focus to a more somber reflection involving another woman experiencing a significant loss—"woman has lost the milk in her right breast"—which could symbolize a loss of nurturing ability, fertility, or femininity. The poet's rhetorical question about moving consciousness from one side of the body to the other explores themes of balance, healing, and the disruption of bodily integrity. It poses a broader philosophical query about the possibility of redistributing life's elements to regain equilibrium after loss.

Continuing with the theme of elemental and existential transformations, Eshleman reflects on the ego’s journey, describing it as initially weak and vulnerable, "nearly brought down, nearly losing all the creation of breaking away." This introspection extends into the idea of guilt being analogous to a fall—both a moral descent and a physical one, yet also a natural part of cyclical changes, as fall leads to winter and then to renewal in spring. This natural cycle mirrors human emotional and creative cycles, where breakdowns lead to breakthroughs, and guilt or loss transitions into renewal.

The poem concludes with imagery of a woman interacting with her environment, "she plays in aura and arranges A, C, currents more precise? more wakefully natural than tide run, roll & failure of sea to sun." This suggests a manipulation or arrangement of elemental forces, perhaps implying artistic creation as a form of arranging natural elements into something new and meaningful. The comparison of her actions to the natural and often uncontrollable movements of the sea suggests a tension between the human desire to impose order and the inherently chaotic nature of the natural world.

In "Sensing Duncan," Eshleman crafts a rich tapestry of allusions and reflections, connecting human emotional landscapes with the broader rhythms of the natural world and the enduring impacts of poetic expression. The poem navigates through personal and universal themes, illustrating how deeply intertwined our lives are with the art we consume and the natural world we inhabit.

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