Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

William Carlos Williams’s "Postlude" is an evocative exploration of love, longing, and the mythic dimensions of human relationships. The poem juxtaposes the ruins of ancient civilizations with the intensity of a deeply personal connection, creating a rich interplay between historical decay and the transient yet searing power of desire. Through its vivid imagery and lyrical flow, the poem delves into themes of passion, vulnerability, and the inescapable tension between love’s creative and destructive forces.

The opening lines, "Now that I have cooled to you / Let there be gold of tarnished masonry," set a tone of resignation and reflection. The speaker acknowledges a shift in his feelings—"cooled" suggesting emotional detachment or a waning of fervor—but pairs this with the enduring grandeur of "tarnished masonry." The imagery of "temples soothed by the sun to ruin" evokes a sense of majestic decline, where beauty persists even in decay. The phrase "sleep utterly" suggests a finality, as though the emotional intensity of the past has settled into quiet permanence.

The request, "Give me hand for the dances," introduces a playful yet poignant desire for connection. The imagery of "Ripples at Philae, in and out" evokes the ebb and flow of water around the ancient temple of Philae, a symbol of eternal motion and change. The invocation of "my Lesbian" ties the poem to Sappho, the ancient Greek poetess whose work is synonymous with love and longing, lending a timeless and universal quality to the speaker’s emotions. The "Wall flowers that once were flame" capture the transformation of fiery passion into something quieter but still present.

The central metaphor, "Your hair is my Carthage / And my arms the bow," weaves historical and mythic elements into the speaker’s portrayal of desire. Carthage, an ancient city destroyed in war, becomes a symbol of both beauty and loss, while the bow suggests tension, potential energy, and the act of wounding. The "arrows" of their words "to shoot the stars" reflect the power of language and emotion to transcend earthly boundaries, yet these stars "swarm to destroy us," highlighting the duality of love as both elevating and perilous.

The lines, "But you there beside me -- / Oh how shall I defy you," shift the focus to the immediate, physical presence of the beloved. The speaker’s vulnerability is laid bare in the face of the lover’s radiance: "Who wound me in the night / With breasts shining / Like Venus and like Mars?" This blending of Venus, the goddess of love, and Mars, the god of war, encapsulates the paradox of love as both tender and combative. The "night" becomes a space of both intimacy and struggle, where desire’s duality is fully realized.

The mythic dimension intensifies with the reference to "Jason," the Greek hero associated with the quest for the Golden Fleece. The "loud eaves rattle / As with waves above me" merges the physical environment with the speaker’s emotional state, creating a stormy, ship-like imagery that reflects his turbulent desire. The "prow of my desire" reinforces this maritime metaphor, where the speaker is both steered by and at the mercy of his passion.

The concluding lines, "O, prayers in the dark! / O, incense to Poseidon! / Calm in Atlantis," draw on the mythos of the sea as a symbol of vast, uncontrollable forces. Poseidon, the god of the sea, represents both the power and the mystery of the emotions that overwhelm the speaker. The reference to Atlantis, a legendary lost civilization, ties back to the poem’s earlier themes of ruin and enduring beauty. It suggests a longing for an idealized state of calm and harmony, even as the speaker acknowledges the tempestuous nature of love.

Structurally, the poem’s free verse and fluid transitions mirror the ebb and flow of the emotions it portrays. The lack of punctuation allows the imagery and ideas to blend seamlessly, creating a dreamlike quality that reinforces the mythic and timeless atmosphere. The poem’s language is richly layered, drawing on historical, natural, and mythological imagery to create a multidimensional exploration of love.

Thematically, "Postlude" examines the interplay between love’s power to create and destroy, its capacity to elevate and wound. The ruins of Carthage and Philae serve as reminders of love’s impermanence, while the invocation of mythic figures and deities situates the speaker’s personal experience within a larger, universal framework. The poem also reflects on the role of memory and imagination in shaping our understanding of love, as the speaker navigates the tension between the past’s faded intensity and the present’s lingering connection.

"Postlude" is a richly evocative meditation on the complexity of love and desire. Through its lush imagery and mythic allusions, the poem captures the paradoxical nature of passion as both transcendent and destructive, offering a timeless exploration of human connection and the forces that shape it.

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