Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

John Ashbery's poem "From the Observatory" is a richly textured and enigmatic work that explores themes of perception, reality, and the human quest for understanding. Ashbery, renowned for his complex and often surreal poetry, creates a narrative that is both evocative and elusive, inviting deep contemplation and interpretation.

The opening lines, "When they had climbed the Valley of Thieves / and rested at the aleatory base camp," immediately set a tone of adventure and uncertainty. The journey through the Valley of Thieves and the rest at a base camp characterized as "aleatory" (dependent on chance) suggest a venture into the unknown, a theme that recurs throughout the poem.

The image of a horseshoe moon piercing "the curtain of dreams" introduces a dreamlike, surreal quality that permeates the poem. This imagery blurs the lines between reality and imagination, reflecting the poem's exploration of the boundaries of perception.

The sense that "there was something wrong with everything" conveys a feeling of dissonance and unease. The descriptions of the greenhouse being "ethereal and too far away" and the gnat igniting the harbor create a world that is both vivid and disconcerting, highlighting the poem's focus on the strange and the unexpected.

The mention of the Home Counties and their reaction to being observed introduces themes of voyeurism and control. The question "Was it for this you came? / To watch us writhe and cringe?" suggests a critique of the observer's role and the impact of observation on the observed.

The "cult of personality" issuing conflicting commands that "puddle every surface" speaks to the chaos and confusion of leadership and authority. This could be interpreted as a commentary on the complexities and contradictions inherent in power dynamics and societal structures.

Ashbery's reference to the time "before the flood" and the need for a "sense / of invitation" to a "domed picnic" further develops the theme of navigating a world that is both familiar and alien, where nothing is quite as it should be.

The poem's contemplation of memorizing the rules for future reference against the backdrop of a wall that is "ancient, / trapped in an understanding of the present" reflects the human attempt to make sense of the past and present, to find stability in a constantly changing world.

The closing lines, with the riddle unknotted and the start of a "second agreeable ordeal," suggest a resolution and a new beginning, yet one that is as ambiguous and challenging as the journey that preceded it.

"From the Observatory" is a thought-provoking poem that captures the intricacies and paradoxes of human experience. Ashbery's use of vivid imagery and abstract thought creates a narrative that resonates with the complexity and richness of the human condition, inviting readers to explore the depths of meaning within the layers of the poem.

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