Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

May Swenson’s "Southbound on the Freeway" offers a clever, imaginative perspective on human society through the eyes of an alien observer. By presenting a mundane aspect of modern life—cars on a freeway—as something mysterious and otherworldly, Swenson critiques human behavior and technology’s dominance, revealing the limitations of perception and the alienation inherent in modernity.

The poem begins with a visitor from “Orbitville,” an extraterrestrial or otherworldly figure who observes the “creatures” of Earth. The use of “tourist” immediately introduces a playful tone, casting the alien as a curious and perhaps naive outsider. This choice sets the stage for the poem’s central conceit: the misinterpretation of cars as living organisms. Swenson’s framing invites the reader to view familiar objects with fresh eyes, highlighting the absurdities of human creations when stripped of their context.

The description of cars as “made of metal and glass” emphasizes their artificiality and contrasts with the organic connotations of the word “creatures.” The alien’s perspective strips away human knowledge, reducing vehicles to their mechanical essence. The reference to “transparent parts” through which “you can see their guts” is both humorous and unsettling, as it reimagines car interiors—and their human occupants—as the internal workings of these mechanical beings. This inversion of perspective challenges the reader to consider how dependent humans have become on their machines, to the point where the distinction between human and technology is blurred.

Swenson further develops the alien’s misunderstanding by describing the “feet” of the creatures as “round” and able to “roll / on diagrams.” The poetic image of highways as “long / measuring tapes” is a striking and original metaphor that transforms roads into abstract and almost purposeless constructs. The dark pavement with white lines becomes a mysterious feature of this alien world, emphasizing how incomprehensible human systems can seem when viewed from an external standpoint.

The observation that cars have “four eyes,” with “two in the back” that are “red,” captures the alien’s fascination with vehicle lights. This detail underscores the visitor’s literal interpretation of the cars as living entities. The humorous misinterpretation becomes more complex with the introduction of a “5-eyed one,” presumably a police car, with a “red eye turning / on the top of his head.” This special designation reflects societal hierarchies and order, as the alien notes that the other “creatures” respect this figure and “go slow” when it passes. Swenson subtly critiques human systems of authority and compliance, using the alien’s detached perspective to reveal the ritualistic nature of human behavior on the road.

The auditory imagery of the cars “hiss[ing] as they glide” adds another layer of alienation. The vehicles’ movement along highways is likened to the progress of “inches,” a measurement of time or space, further abstracting their purpose and rendering their function meaningless to the observer. The alien’s description of the “soft shapes, shadowy inside” raises the central question of the poem: Are these “their guts or their brains?” The ambiguity in the alien’s observation reflects a deeper commentary on human reliance on machines. The suggestion that humans might be mere “brains” encased within these mechanical forms critiques the dehumanization that accompanies technological advancement and the way humans become subsumed by their creations.

Swenson’s tone is light and whimsical, but the underlying implications of the poem are serious and thought-provoking. The alien’s perspective highlights the extent to which humans have integrated technology into their lives, to the point where it defines their existence. By portraying cars as independent, living creatures, Swenson blurs the line between humanity and machinery, inviting readers to question their relationship with the technological world they inhabit.

The poem’s structure, with its short, enjambed lines, mirrors the movement of cars on a freeway—continuous, yet fragmented. This rhythmic quality evokes the stop-and-go flow of traffic and enhances the sense of observation and motion central to the poem.

"Southbound on the Freeway" is a masterful exercise in defamiliarization. By presenting human behavior through the eyes of an alien observer, Swenson transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary, using wit and imagination to explore themes of technology, alienation, and the human condition. The poem encourages readers to view their own lives with a sense of curiosity and detachment, questioning the systems and objects that define their existence.

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