Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Of Being Numerous: 1," George Oppen introduces the overarching themes of existence, identity, and the complexities of human perception that permeate his influential long poem. This opening section sets the tone for the entire work, which delves into the fragmented, often disorienting experience of living in the modern world. Oppen’s minimalist language and philosophical reflections invite readers to contemplate the relationship between the self, the surrounding world, and the inexorable passage of time.

The poem begins with the assertion that "There are things / We live among ‘and to see them / Is to know ourselves’." This line suggests that our identity and self-understanding are deeply intertwined with our environment—the "things" we live among. By observing and acknowledging the objects, landscapes, and occurrences that surround us, we gain insight into who we are. This idea reflects a central tenet of Oppen's poetics: that the external world is not separate from the self but integral to our understanding of it.

The poem then introduces the concept of "Occurrence, a part / Of an infinite series," which positions each moment or event as part of an ongoing, limitless sequence. This idea emphasizes the continuity of existence and the notion that individual experiences are connected to a much larger, perhaps incomprehensible, pattern. The phrase "the sad marvels" captures the dual nature of these occurrences—they are both wondrous and melancholic, perhaps because they are fleeting and part of the ceaseless flow of time.

Oppen follows this with a reflection on the moral judgments that have been historically placed on human actions: "Of this was told / A tale of our wickedness. / It is not our wickedness." These lines challenge the idea that human suffering or the complexity of existence is inherently tied to human sin or moral failings. Instead, Oppen suggests that what has been perceived as "wickedness" is not necessarily so—it may be simply part of the natural order or the human condition, something that exists beyond simplistic moral categorizations.

The poem shifts to a more personal and reflective tone with the recollection of a specific memory: "‘You remember that old town we went to, and we sat in the ruined window, and we tried to imagine that we belonged to those times—". This memory evokes a moment of contemplation in a historical setting, where the speaker and a companion attempt to connect with a past era. The "ruined window" symbolizes both a physical and metaphorical threshold between the present and the past, and the attempt to "imagine that we belonged to those times" suggests a longing to understand or connect with history on a deeper level.

However, the speaker quickly acknowledges the impossibility of fully grasping this connection: "It is dead and it is not dead, and you cannot imagine either its life or its death;". This paradoxical statement reflects the difficulty of truly understanding or experiencing the past as it was. The past is both alive in memory and dead in reality, creating a tension that is impossible to resolve. The dual nature of the past—both present and absent, alive and dead—underscores the complex relationship humans have with history and time.

The poem concludes with a return to the natural world: "the earth speaks and the salamander speaks, the Spring comes and only obscures it—". Here, Oppen introduces the idea that nature continues its cycles regardless of human history or understanding. The earth and the salamander, symbols of natural life, persist and communicate in their own ways, but their messages are not easily deciphered by humans. The arrival of Spring, often seen as a symbol of renewal and clarity, paradoxically "obscures" rather than illuminates. This suggests that the natural cycles of life and death can cloud our understanding of the past, making it even more elusive.

"Of Being Numerous: 1" sets the stage for Oppen’s exploration of the self, the world, and the difficulty of making sense of existence in a fragmented, modern context. Through his sparse and evocative language, Oppen conveys the sense of being caught between the past and the present, between the self and the external world, and between understanding and mystery. The poem invites readers to reflect on their own experiences of living among "things," their relationship to history, and the ways in which the natural world both connects and distances us from the deeper truths of existence.

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