Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Heavenly Host" by Walter Bargen intricately weaves a narrative that juxtaposes the mundanity of office life with a moment of magical realism, where the ordinary becomes extraordinary, albeit briefly. The poem opens with a lightning strike that disrupts the temporal flow within an office, freezing the exact time on every wall clock, but not synchronously, thereby creating a disjointed sense of time across the workspace. This event, while seemingly trivial, sets the stage for a deeper exploration of perception, the fleeting nature of beauty and youth, and the longing for transcendence in the everyday.

Bargen's attention to the minutiae of office dynamics—the cautious glances, the implicit social contracts, and the undercurrents of desire and propriety—paints a vivid picture of a workspace that is both familiar and repressive. The mention of office workers standing on chairs to adjust the clocks, sneaking glances at each other, especially "if the dress was short and the legs young," subtly critiques the pervasive, yet often unacknowledged, objectification and sexism that can permeate professional environments. This momentary lapse into voyeurism is quickly checked by the fear of social repercussions, suggesting the powerful force of workplace norms and the internalized surveillance that governs behavior.

As the poem unfolds, Bargen shifts focus from these interpersonal dynamics to a miraculous occurrence: the secretaries, in a moment of synchronicity with the resetting of the clocks, rise to the ceiling. This surreal event contrasts starkly with the earlier focus on the trivial and the temporal, inviting a reflection on the possibility of transcendence and the breaking of mundane cycles. The imagery of secretaries gaining wings and then losing them in the span of a minute encapsulates the fleeting nature of extraordinary experiences and the return to the banality of everyday life.

The phrase "an unbearable ravelling" captures the essence of this moment—both the chaotic unraveling of the ordinary order and the intense, almost intolerable beauty of witnessing something beyond comprehension. The secretaries' ascent and subsequent return to the ground, having "lost their wings," serves as a metaphor for the human condition: the constant oscillation between the mundane and the sublime, the earthly and the divine. This moment of transcendence, however brief, interrupts the narrative of a typical workday, offering both a critique and a celebration of human aspirations and limitations.

Bargen's use of the office setting as a backdrop for this exploration of transcendence and the human yearning for more than what the tangible world offers speaks to the universality of these themes. The poem suggests that within the most ordinary of settings and moments, there exists the potential for the extraordinary, for experiences that transcend the limitations of our everyday lives. Yet, these moments are ephemeral, leaving behind a sense of loss and a return to the routine, albeit with the lingering question of what lies beyond the surface of our daily existence.

"Heavenly Host" is a poignant meditation on the search for meaning and beauty in the routine of daily work, the fleeting nature of transcendent moments, and the human capacity for wonder amidst the ordinary. Through its blending of the real and the surreal, Bargen invites readers to consider the depth and complexity of seemingly mundane experiences and the perpetual human quest for something beyond the temporal and the physical.

POEM TEXT: https://www.google.com/books/edition/For_a_Living/ZDIa10WKf28C?q=BACA+%22I+worked+as+a+licensed+plumber,+had+my+own+tools%22&gbpv=1&bsq=BARGEN#f=false

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