Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Last Waltz", Michael Thomas McClure crafts a vivid, surreal meditation on the nature of existence, identity, and spirituality. Through striking imagery and rhythmic repetition, McClure evokes a sense of transcendence that challenges conventional dichotomies of innocence and menace, serenity and chaos. The poem oscillates between introspection and universal vision, presenting life as an intricate dance of forces both familiar and alien.

The poem opens with an arresting juxtaposition: “INNOCENT AS THE SMILE OF A COUGAR; clean as the smile of a snake.” This line captures the duality inherent in nature and existence itself. The smile of a predator, whether a cougar or a snake, is an image that embodies both innocence and danger, beauty and lethal intent. It suggests that purity and predatory instinct are intertwined, challenging traditional moral binaries.

The poet’s self-identification—“I'm the hand of the squid / I'm the laugh that I hear when I shake”—introduces a series of metaphoric transformations that dissolve the boundaries between the speaker and various elements of nature. By aligning himself with a squid’s hand, McClure evokes adaptability and the mysterious, almost alien intelligence associated with deep-sea creatures. The “laugh” the speaker hears becomes a manifestation of self-reflection and consciousness, an echo of life’s inherent playfulness and unpredictability.

“I’m the sunbeam on the ocean / I’m the monster of life that moves in the waves” expands this exploration by pairing light, a symbol of clarity and life, with the image of a monstrous, amorphous force beneath the surface. This duality reinforces the poem’s thematic tension between life’s surface beauty and the deeper, often darker undercurrents that shape existence. The “monster of life” moving within the waves embodies the primal energy that fuels creation and destruction alike.

The phrase “There’s a planet of fiends in a nerve cell and every pebble sings and raves” further complicates this vision, suggesting that even within the smallest units of existence, there are worlds teeming with energy, voices, and chaos. This image evokes a sense of awe at the microcosmic reflections of the macrocosm, where each element of life, no matter how seemingly insignificant, carries a universe within it. The nerve cell as a “planet of fiends” points to the complexity and perhaps the unsettling nature of consciousness itself.

The assertion “I AM THIS THING OF SPIRIT / that blows up the idea of heaven and hell” is a declaration of transcendence and spiritual independence. Here, McClure claims an identity that defies traditional religious structures, emphasizing a state of being that transcends simple categorizations of good and evil, reward and punishment. The speaker becomes a force that dismantles the established notions of divine dichotomies, suggesting that true existence encompasses all aspects of spirit without confinement to such binaries.

The line “I am the one who shaves off his consciousness from the heads of old gods / who drowned in the well” underscores a break from antiquated beliefs and mythologies. By metaphorically severing consciousness from the “heads of old gods,” McClure implies a departure from the control and influence of traditional deities or inherited ideologies. The drowning of these gods symbolizes their obsolescence, reinforcing the poet’s commitment to a more liberated, individual understanding of existence.

Repeating the stanza “Innocent as the smile of a cougar / clean as the mind of a snake / I’m the hand of the squid / I’m the laugh that I hear when I shake” serves to reinforce the cycle of identity and the intertwining of innocence and danger. This repetition acts as a refrain that deepens the sense of unity between the speaker and the various elements of life and nature.

"Last Waltz" is an affirmation of the spirit’s boundless and complex nature. McClure uses his evocative language to express the paradox of life—its innocence, predatory nature, cosmic vastness, and inner vitality. The poem celebrates existence as a confluence of myriad forces, where the self becomes an amalgam of natural, spiritual, and mythological elements. This work invites readers to question the simplicity of conventional beliefs and to recognize the intricate dance of life as both beautiful and monstrous, simple and profound.

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