Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Charles Olson’s "Morning News" is a sprawling, multifaceted poem that blends historical references, personal anecdotes, satirical commentary, and mythological motifs to critique modernity, culture, and human nature. True to Olson’s characteristic style, the poem defies linear interpretation, embracing fragmentation and collage to create a layered, associative experience that reflects both the chaos and the profundity of life.

The title, "Morning News", sets up an expectation of immediacy and relevance, yet Olson delivers something far richer and more complex than a simple recounting of events. The poem begins with an invocation of spiritual and intellectual figures—“O mister Eckhart! calling Meister Eck-heart! / ‘Doctor Strzygowski!’”—conjuring a mystical and intellectual atmosphere. Meister Eckhart, a German theologian and mystic, and Josef Strzygowski, an art historian, hint at themes of transcendence, history, and cultural critique that will permeate the poem. Olson’s playful invocation of these figures underscores a tension between depth and absurdity, a hallmark of his poetic voice.

The recurring imagery of a “bowl of fruit” serves as a metaphor for abundance, beauty, and the human impulse to create and preserve. Olson describes the bowl as something not to be consumed or merely admired but as an object of inherent value, likened to jewels or crafted art. This suggests a reverence for creation and the tangible artifacts of culture, even as the poem critiques the society that produces them.

The poem’s fragmented narrative moves into a humorous and sardonic reflection on human behavior, illustrated through the story of Handsome Slayer, an Omaha chief and member of the “Backward Boys.” This historical anecdote about a Plains Indian society that engaged in reverse rituals—riding horses and carrying lances backward—serves as both a literal and symbolic inversion of norms. Olson’s commentary on this behavior, framed through the lens of psychoanalysis and modern interpretations of “repression,” critiques the reductionist tendencies of Western thought. By overlaying anthropological insight with satire, Olson highlights the absurdity of cultural misunderstanding and the limitations of analytical frameworks.

The poem transitions into a deeply personal memory: Olson’s recollection of a spring day when he embraced two women, provoking jealousy among his friends. This anecdote, rich with sensuality and the vitality of life, contrasts sharply with the satirical tone of earlier sections. The interplay between personal desire and social expectation encapsulates one of the poem’s central tensions—the individual’s pursuit of freedom and authenticity within the constraints of societal norms.

Olson’s reflections on Easter as a “day of no light” deepen the poem’s meditation on cycles of life and death, renewal and despair. The image of tipping one’s hat to a passing figure underscores a fleeting gesture of respect or acknowledgment, a small act that contrasts with the grander existential struggles articulated throughout the poem. Olson’s invocation of “trains,” “telegraph poles,” and “gold-hatted, high-bouncing lover” evokes a surreal, fragmented Americana, blending Whitman-esque expansiveness with modernist alienation.

In its later sections, the poem spirals into a cacophony of voices, imagery, and cultural references. The invocation of Saint Stephen’s Rite, Cibola, and the Anthropophagi weaves together religious, historical, and mythological narratives to critique the destructiveness of human ambition and the myths that sustain civilizations. Olson’s satirical tone crescendos with the mock broadcast of a poet’s declaration and the tragicomic figure of the Handsome Sailor, whose stuttering and humiliation reflect the vulnerability of human expression in a hostile world.

The poem closes with an image of maternal authority and a return to primal necessity: “It is cold here / You must go out and bring in some wood.” This grounding gesture, framed by the voice of an old mother, suggests a return to fundamental truths and the labor required to sustain life. The juxtaposition of cosmic, cultural, and personal dimensions throughout the poem culminates in this moment of simplicity and resolve.

Structurally, "Morning News" mirrors the disjointed nature of its themes through its fragmented, collage-like form. Olson’s use of varying registers—from intellectual discourse to anecdotal humor, from historical narrative to mythic invocation—creates a dynamic interplay of voices and perspectives. The poem resists closure or definitive meaning, instead offering a kaleidoscopic meditation on the complexities of modern existence.

At its core, "Morning News" is a critique of the cultural, intellectual, and existential conditions of Olson’s time. Through its layering of history, personal reflection, and biting satire, the poem challenges readers to confront the contradictions of human nature and the absurdities of contemporary life, while also seeking moments of grace, beauty, and connection amidst the chaos.

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