Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Charles Simic’s The Flies is a surreal meditation on mortality, memory, and the unsettling intersection of the mundane and the metaphysical. Through his characteristic blend of dark humor, grotesque imagery, and cryptic symbolism, Simic transforms the ordinary figure of the fly into a multifaceted emblem of decay, persistence, and the fleeting nature of existence. The poem’s fragmented structure mirrors the elusive nature of its themes, as Simic invites readers to explore a dreamlike realm where the banal acquires profound significance.

The opening stanza introduces the flies with an almost ritualistic gravity: “Here are the baits, the hooks / Are hidden.” This ominous image positions the flies not merely as pests but as entities tied to traps and snares, hinting at larger existential concerns. The speaker’s sudden shift—“Is my suit ready?”—is jarring and seemingly trivial, yet it suggests a readiness for departure or even death, linking the flies to themes of transience and finality. Simic’s surreal imagery deepens this association: the flies are “made / Of dirt and spittle in an orphanage.” This grotesque genesis emphasizes their ephemeral and base nature while also evoking a sense of abandonment and loss.

The flies are further personified as they “sigh” and “quickly cross themselves / With their feet.” This anthropomorphism is both absurd and haunting, casting the flies as miniature embodiments of fear, ritual, and the inevitability of death. The speaker likens himself to a “cold window-pane of a house / Abandoned for the Winter,” a stark image of isolation and emptiness that aligns with the flies’ persistence in desolation. The description of the flies as “solemn, dipped in cigarette smoke, / Like an angry word scratched in a public urinal” juxtaposes their triviality with human acts of frustration and defacement, reinforcing their symbolic resonance as carriers of both decay and meaning.

In the first section’s final lines, the fly becomes an ominous harbinger: “One of them will walk over my grave.” The statement blends superstition and inevitability, suggesting that even the smallest and most insignificant creatures hold power over human mortality. The unsettling intimacy of the fly resting “on the ear of my sleeping daughter” reinforces its pervasive presence, bridging the personal and the universal.

The second section shifts focus to memory and time, as the speaker reflects, “For a long time I’ve been trying / To remember something.” The act of remembrance becomes entwined with the fly, which “glows like a ring” on the speaker’s finger, symbolizing both continuity and futility. The imagery of the wind in the redwood trees introduces a natural, almost cosmic element, contrasting with the domestic and claustrophobic setting of the house. This interplay between the external vastness and internal solitude underscores the tension between individual experience and the greater forces of existence.

The third section delves deeper into the surreal, as the speaker declares, “A killed fly always comes back.” This assertion blurs the boundary between life and death, suggesting a cyclical or persistent nature to both the fly and the existential dilemmas it represents. The question, “Can one suddenly wake up inside one?” further destabilizes the speaker’s reality, implying a disorienting fusion of self and other, consciousness and decay. The idea that “We make flies as we think” suggests that flies—like thoughts—are inescapable, breeding endlessly and haunting the speaker’s inner world.

Simic’s invocation of saints as those who “know the exact number” of flies introduces a theological dimension. This cryptic line hints at a divine or mystical awareness of life’s minutiae, suggesting that the flies’ ubiquity might hold a deeper spiritual or metaphysical significance. The section concludes with the speaker hailing a fly “like a taxi” at twilight. This surreal image transforms the fly into a vehicle of transition, carrying the speaker to “a room / Where solitude keeps its saucer of milk.” This ending is enigmatic yet poignant, evoking a sense of surrender and quietude. The saucer of milk, often associated with nurturing and domesticity, becomes a symbol of the solace or sustenance found in solitude.

Structurally, the poem’s three sections reflect a progression from observation to introspection to metaphysical inquiry. The fragmented and elliptical nature of Simic’s language mirrors the disjointed and ephemeral qualities of thought and memory, allowing the flies to occupy multiple symbolic roles. They are at once mundane irritants, markers of decay, and conduits to existential and spiritual reflection.

Simic’s use of grotesque and surreal imagery is central to the poem’s impact. The flies are rendered with a visceral physicality, yet their symbolic weight elevates them beyond mere pests. Through his characteristic wit and philosophical undercurrents, Simic transforms the ordinary into a site of profound inquiry, reminding readers of the fragile and fleeting nature of life.

Ultimately, The Flies is a meditation on the persistence of small, seemingly insignificant forces in shaping our understanding of mortality and self. By weaving together the grotesque and the sublime, Simic invites readers to confront the paradoxical beauty and horror of existence, where even a fly’s hum can resonate with the vastness of the human condition.

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