Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s "Populist Manifesto #1" is a clarion call to poets and artists, urging them to break free from their isolation and engage with the world around them. In this poem, Ferlinghetti blends political urgency with lyrical inspiration, challenging poets to take action and speak out against the challenges facing humanity and the environment.

The poem begins with a direct command: "Poets, come out of your closets, / Open your windows, open your doors." This imagery suggests that poets have isolated themselves in their creative spaces, becoming disconnected from the real world. Ferlinghetti emphasizes that they "have been holed-up too long in your closed worlds," urging them to "Come down" from their privileged and isolated vantage points: "from your Russian Hills and Telegraph / Hills, / your Beacon Hills and your Chapel / Hills, / your Mount Analogues and Montparnasses."

These references to various geographic locations represent different social and artistic circles, reinforcing the idea that poets are too removed from the concerns of ordinary people. Ferlinghetti calls for them to descend "down from your foothills and / mountains, / out of your tepees and domes."

Ferlinghetti describes the urgency of the situation with the line, "The trees are still falling / and we'll to the woods no more." This alludes to environmental destruction, particularly deforestation, and suggests that there’s no time left for poets to retreat to nature for solace or inspiration. Instead, he emphasizes that there’s "No time now for sitting in them / As man burns down his own house to roast his pig." This metaphor reflects humanity's self-destructive tendencies and our willingness to destroy the environment for short-term gain.

The poet critiques spiritual indifference with the lines, "No more chanting Hare Krishna while Rome burns." He draws parallels between contemporary issues and the fall of Rome, reminding poets of their responsibilities during times of crisis. He points out that "San Francisco's burning, / Mayakovsky's Moscow's burning / the fossil-fuels of life," emphasizing the environmental impact of industrialization and modern society.

Ferlinghetti vividly describes the approach of an apocalyptic "Night & the Horse approaches / eating light, heat & power," evoking a sense of dread and urgency. Despite this impending doom, he criticizes artists who remain "indifferent, paring his fingernails, / refining himself out of existence." He dismisses their "little literary games," "paranoias & / hypochondrias," and urges them to focus instead on "light & love."

The line "We have seen the best minds of our / generation destroyed by boredom at poetry / readings" humorously echoes Allen Ginsberg’s "Howl" and critiques the insularity of contemporary poetry. Ferlinghetti insists that "Poetry isn't a secret society, / It isn't a temple either," rejecting the idea that poetry is an exclusive or sacred art. Instead, he argues that "Secret words & chants won't do any / longer" and that the "hour of oming is over."

Ferlinghetti calls for a new kind of poetry: "time now to open your mouths / with a new open speech, / time now to communicate with all / sentient beings." He demands that poets "descend / to the street of the world once more," urging them to speak directly to the public.

The poem then shifts to a visionary tone, as Ferlinghetti describes "Poetry the common carrier / for the transportation of the public / to higher places than other wheels can carry it." Poetry becomes a vehicle for transformation and enlightenment, capable of inspiring people to aspire to greater ideals.

He reinforces the urgency of action with the line "Don't wait for the Revolution / or it'll happen without you." He encourages poets to "speak out with a new wide-open poetry" that includes "a new commonsensual 'public / surface.'" This poetry should have "other subjective levels / or other subversive levels," and should resonate deeply within, "a tuning fork in the inner ear / to strike below the surface."

The poem concludes on an optimistic note, asserting that "Poetry still falls from the skies / into our streets still open." Ferlinghetti urges poets to seize the moment: "Awake and sing in the open air."

In "Populist Manifesto #1," Ferlinghetti calls on poets to use their art for activism and engagement, encouraging them to confront the challenges of their time with creativity and courage. By rejecting isolation and insularity, he offers a vision of poetry that is inclusive, transformative, and deeply rooted in the human experience.

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