Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Hop O' My Thumb" by John Ashbery is a richly textured and evocative poem that delves into the realms of dreams, memory, and the elusive nature of desire. The title itself, referencing a fairy tale character known for his cunning and resourcefulness, sets the stage for a journey through a fantastical and surreal landscape.

The poem opens with images of grandeur and festivity – "The grand hotels, dancing girls" – yet quickly introduces a sense of loss or disillusionment with "a veil of 'lost illusion'". This juxtaposition of celebration with a sense of something missing or unattainable is a recurring theme throughout the piece.

Ashbery challenges the notion of time and possession with the lines "There is no day in the calendar / The dairy company sent out / That lets you possess it wildly like / The body of a dreaming woman in a dream." This reflects the transient and ephemeral nature of experiences and memories, suggesting that they cannot be fully grasped or owned.

The poem then shifts into a dreamlike sequence where the imagery becomes more surreal and the narrative more fragmented. The speaker recalls a dream encounter with a girl, or perhaps a dream version of a girl, in a landscape that is both vivid and indistinct. The dream is a space where identities blur and merge, and the boundaries between self and other are obscured.

The stanza that begins with "That time faded too and the night" evokes a sense of calm after the storm of the previous dream sequence. There's a pastoral tranquility with "sleeping cabins near by, blind lanterns," and a quaint, almost magical gesture of leaving "a plate of milk left for the fairies". This invokes a childlike innocence and a longing for simpler, more enchanting times.

The poem closes with a return to the theme of dreams and unfulfilled desire: "There are still other made-up countries / Where we can hide forever, / Wasted with eternal desire and sadness." The final lines speak to the human condition of constantly seeking and yearning for something beyond reach, finding solace in the imaginary realms of dreams and fantasies.

"Hop O' My Thumb" is a complex and layered poem that weaves together motifs from fairy tales, dream imagery, and existential longing. Ashbery's language is both beautiful and elusive, inviting the reader to immerse themselves in the imagery and emotion of the poem while acknowledging the inherent ambiguity and uncertainty of understanding and desire.

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