Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Rebus" by Jane Hirshfield is a poem that unflinchingly explores the essence of human experience, set against the metaphorical landscape of clay. The title itself, "Rebus," denotes a puzzle in which words are represented by pictures or symbols. The poem serves as a puzzle, too, inviting us to delve into the complexities of life's choices, composed of both the tangible and intangible elements we are given.

The poem begins with the idea that we "work with what [we] are given," introducing two types of clay: "the red clay of grief" and "the black clay of stubbornness going on after." The colors red and black symbolize strong, often dark emotions, anchoring the poem in a reality that is deeply felt rather than intellectually assessed. Clay represents the malleable circumstances and experiences of life; its colors and tastes are given by our emotions and actions.

This clay is composed of multiple elements: care or carelessness, the scent of river bottoms or dust, and even our own thoughts and words, described as "a life you have lived or failed to live" or "a dish you have eaten or left on the table." These components come together to form the "rebus," or puzzle, of life. It's a life often tinged with honeys "so bitter / no one would willingly choose to take them," yet the clay incorporates them all. The 'honeys' of "weariness, vanity, cruelty, fear" become part of our constitutive material.

The poem adopts a contemplative tone when it says, "when will I learn to read it / plainly, slowly, uncolored by hope or desire?" This marks the poem's shift towards an internal conversation, from external observation to a self-interrogation. Here, Hirshfield emphasizes the necessity of understanding life without the distortion of emotions like "hope or desire."

In the next lines, Hirshfield brings in the concept of choice: "As water given sugar sweetens, given salt grows salty, / we become our choices." This is an important moment as it merges the metaphor of clay and the idea of choice. Choices are seen as ingredients that alter the base material, just as sugar or salt changes the taste of water. Choices are presented in dualities: "this one a ladder, that one an anvil or cup." Each choice carries a symbolic weight. A ladder could symbolize ascent or descent, an anvil suggests weight and immobility, and a cup could signify emptiness or the potential for fullness.

The final lines crystallize the poem's inquiry into a singular question, "How can I enter this question the clay has asked?" This contemplative ending draws attention to the ongoing nature of interpreting one's life. There's no definitive answer, only a perpetual questioning and the difficult work of reading one's own existence.

"Rebus" is a rich, textured poem that explores the interplay between what we are given and what we make of it, between our material conditions and our spiritual inquiries. It is a sophisticated articulation of the complexity of human experience, beautifully encapsulating the struggles, hopes, and uncertainties that comprise the "clay" of our lives.

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