Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

James Schuyler's "Destitute Peru" presents a fragmented and dreamlike narrative that reflects the disjointed and often surreal experiences of memory and travel. Written for fellow poet John Ashbery, the poem carries a playful, almost whimsical tone, while also invoking a sense of dislocation and existential uncertainty.

The poem opens with a reference to "pullmaned to Peoria," suggesting a train journey that serves as a metaphor for a larger journey—perhaps through life, memory, or the creative process. The mention of "Gladys," "Skippy," and "Sookie" introduces characters who seem to be part of a nostalgic memory, with their names evoking a bygone era. The phrase "So Peru-ward, home" adds to the sense of movement and destination, although the mention of Peru here might not be literal but symbolic, representing a distant or exotic place that is linked to a sense of longing or loss.

The next stanza, "Nike’s peach-knife nicked little / finger Chinese straw finger-cuffed / to Minna’s Siamesed," introduces a surreal image that combines everyday objects with more abstract concepts. The mention of Nike (possibly referring to the goddess of victory or the brand) and a peach-knife adds to the poem's sense of disjointedness, while "Minna’s Siamesed" suggests a connection or bond, possibly between people or memories, that is both intimate and inescapable.

The poem's reference to "Hartford" and the questioning of "how are your wheres, our whens?" brings in a sense of geographic and temporal dislocation. The place names and the play on words suggest a confusion or blurring of time and space, where past and present, here and there, become indistinguishable.

The line "Or extirpated traumas’ gifted / guilt smothered aboard a club / car" hints at deeper emotional undercurrents beneath the poem's playful surface. The word "extirpated" suggests something removed or eradicated, while "traumas" and "guilt" point to unresolved psychological issues. The "club car" of a train becomes a setting where these emotions are "smothered," perhaps repressed or ignored, even as they continue to exert influence.

In the stanza that follows, "Lake Ontario spilled / Jo Jo’s knapsack: 'Pasternak,'" there is a sense of chaos and loss. The spilling of the knapsack might symbolize a loss of control or the sudden exposure of hidden contents, while the mention of "Pasternak" (likely referring to the Russian poet and novelist Boris Pasternak) introduces a literary element, connecting the personal with the cultural and historical.

The poem takes a more surreal turn with the line "An alligator ate an alligator- / trapping monkey." This image is both absurd and evocative, blending the natural with the fantastical. The subsequent line, "We ate because / 'it’s dark, it’s air-conditioned,'" shifts the scene to a more mundane, yet still disorienting, experience—perhaps of being in a movie theater or another artificial environment where the outside world is shut out.

The final stanza, "shot marbles in lobbies. What / interests? Takes? Escapes? Eat, / moth-light, part and apart, slowly / we slow waiters serve hot plates," continues the theme of disjointed experiences. The mention of shooting marbles, a childhood game, contrasts with the more adult concerns of "interests," "takes," and "escapes." The repetition of "slowly" and the image of "slow waiters" serving "hot plates" suggests a dragging, almost tedious passage of time, where even the most mundane activities are carried out with a sense of existential weariness.

"Destitute Peru" is a poem that resists straightforward interpretation, instead offering a series of vivid, disjointed images that evoke a sense of wandering—both physically and mentally. Schuyler's use of language is playful yet poignant, capturing the fleeting and fragmented nature of memory and experience. The poem reflects a world where meaning is elusive, where time and space are fluid, and where the search for connection and understanding is ongoing, even if ultimately unresolved.

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