Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

John S. Mbiti's poem "New York Skyscrapers" offers a poignant and atmospheric depiction of the cityscape of New York, focusing on the interaction between the natural and the industrial. The poem captures a moment at the close of the day, where the natural beauty of the sunset is juxtaposed with the grim and imposing presence of the city's skyscrapers and industrial elements.

The poem opens with "The weak scattered rays of yellow sun," immediately setting a tone of fragility and diminishing light. The sun, typically a symbol of power and vitality, is here described as weak and scattered, suggesting a sense of exhaustion or decline. This image conveys the idea that the sun's influence is waning, overpowered by the encroaching darkness and the city's industrial landscape.

Mbiti continues with the description of the sun's rays "Peeped through the hazy tissues / That blanketed them with transparent wax." The use of "peeped" suggests a tentative, almost shy presence, as if the sun is struggling to assert itself against the "hazy tissues" of the atmosphere. The metaphor of these tissues being "blanketed with transparent wax" evokes an image of something muted or obscured, where the natural light is dulled and diffused by the pollution and haze that pervade the city. This depiction highlights the contrast between the natural world and the industrial environment that seeks to suppress it.

As the day comes to an end, the "wrinkled rays" of the sun "closed the day," further emphasizing the sense of weariness and decline. The word "wrinkled" personifies the rays, giving them the characteristics of age and fatigue, as if the day itself is growing old and tired. The closing of the day signifies not just the end of daylight but also a metaphorical closing off of natural beauty and vitality, which is overshadowed by the city's industrial might.

The poem then shifts focus to the "Smoky chimneys of New York," which "coughed / Looking down in bended towers." Here, the chimneys are personified as coughing, an action associated with illness or discomfort, suggesting that the city itself is sick or struggling under the weight of its own pollution. The "bended towers" imply a sense of burden or exhaustion, as if even the towering skyscrapers, symbols of human achievement and ambition, are bowed down by the very environment they have helped to create.

The final image in the poem is particularly powerful: the chimneys "vomited sad tears of dark smoke." The use of the word "vomited" conveys a sense of violent expulsion, as if the city is purging itself of the pollution it has generated. The "sad tears" of dark smoke add an emotional dimension to the scene, suggesting that the city is mourning or lamenting its own state. The dark smoke becomes a symbol of the city's industrial pollution, which not only obscures the natural light but also represents the environmental and emotional toll of urbanization and industrialization.

In "New York Skyscrapers," John S. Mbiti presents a stark and melancholic view of the city, where the beauty of the natural world is overshadowed by the imposing presence of industry and pollution. Through his use of vivid imagery and personification, Mbiti captures the tension between the natural and the industrial, highlighting the environmental degradation that accompanies urbanization. The poem serves as a critique of the ways in which human progress can lead to the deterioration of both the environment and the human spirit, offering a reflective and somber perspective on the modern cityscape.

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