Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Apoptic; For Richard Bridgeman," Charles Olson crafts a dense and fragmented meditation that combines metaphysical inquiry with a reflection on mortality and dissolution. The poem opens with "re-entry, without pillow," suggesting a return or re-emergence, but stripped of comfort, echoing an almost clinical resurrection or reanimation, perhaps in an existential or metaphysical sense. The use of scientific and biological imagery, such as "mucilage" and "cell," adds a layer of bodily materiality to this existential process, grounding the abstract with tangible, almost visceral, descriptions of life's physical components.

The address to "hubby darling" interspersed with references to airport "motors" and "carriers" suggests a complex interplay between the domestic and the industrial, the personal and the universal. Olson's juxtaposition here might indicate a world where the intimate experiences of life, like companionship or home, collide with impersonal, mechanized forces—a frequent theme in his work that critiques modernity’s disconnect from human essence. These "motors" and "fences" seem to drain life, symbolized by the "mucilage" that holds things together, perhaps alluding to how routine and mechanical life can sap one's vitality.

The line "and let the life-giving fluids re-enter the evident? cell we dance? cell we?" introduces a quasi-spiritual question about existence. Olson’s language is cryptic yet evocative, as he probes the mystery of reanimation or revival. This might be interpreted as a call for rejuvenation, a return to an essential, life-affirming state. However, his questioning tone—"cell we dance?"—conveys uncertainty, perhaps about whether true vitality or unity with life can indeed be restored.

Olson invokes "Callimachus," a Greek poet known for his complex, refined style, which adds a classical resonance to the poem. This reference could be Olson’s way of connecting his modernist reflections to the ancient tradition of poetic contemplation on life, death, and beauty. The "cracks in Charles' Dish" may symbolize a flaw or imperfection in human experience or creation, acknowledged by the poet as a natural part of existence. Olson frequently uses fractured imagery to explore the notion that brokenness or fragmentation can contain its own form of beauty and meaning.

The line “the ditch you will always have with you” echoes the biblical phrase “the poor you will always have with you,” alluding to inevitable struggles or flaws. Here, Olson’s "ditch" represents an unavoidable, enduring flaw or loss, something akin to mortality itself—a burden or absence one cannot escape. The passage into "transmission wall" further suggests a boundary or barrier, possibly the threshold between life and death, existence and oblivion.

The final stanza’s visceral imagery, "Bursts in the teeth the old Cosian drops," mixes a blend of classical allusion (Cosian referring to Cos, an ancient Greek medical center) with a strange sense of bodily disintegration or overflow. The "old Cosian drops" could symbolize medicinal or therapeutic practices that were once intended to preserve life, yet here they seem to burst out uncontrollably, embodying a loss of control or containment.

The closing image of “the cushion at his back flew off into so many violet river-bottoms” presents a poignant dissolution. The image of a cushion, a symbol of support and comfort, flying away suggests a loss of stability or comfort, as if the subject is left exposed or unmoored. The "violet river-bottoms" may signify a descent into a mystical or unknown realm, colored with a poetic beauty yet tinged with somber finality. Violet, often associated with spirituality and mourning, adds a sense of transcendence to this release, as if the journey ends in an ethereal or spiritual plane.

Overall, "Apoptic; For Richard Bridgeman" is a complex and multi-layered meditation on mortality, modern existence, and the intersection of life’s tangible and intangible aspects. Olson’s language is purposefully cryptic, pushing the reader to engage deeply with his unique blend of personal, scientific, and classical references. The poem ultimately leaves one with a sense of the ephemeral nature of life and the inevitability of dissolution, yet it hints at a strange beauty in the act of letting go, as if life's fragments can still echo in a mystical continuity even as they disperse.

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