Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Kenneth Koch's "A Momentary Longing to Hear Sad Advice from One Long Dead" is a poignant narrative that goes beyond nostalgia and surfaces layers of complex emotional yearning. The poem unfolds in the form of a conversational memory between the speaker and Delmore Schwartz, a notable American poet and the speaker's former teacher at Harvard. What makes the poem particularly striking is its evocation of a past era, its exploration of the complexities of mentorship, and its larger meditation on the pursuit of wisdom and authenticity.

The poem is a meeting point for several timelines, atmospheres, and perspectives. It integrates the academic ambiance of Harvard with the intimate setting of a New York apartment, drawing connections between personal history, literary touchstones like "Finnegans Wake," and the broader cultural setting of post-WWII America. "Just how American it was and how late Forties it was," reflects the speaker, aware of the historical specificity of the advice given and its resonance with the culture of the time. The admonishment about not wearing an overcoat, and the counterintuitive aphorism "You should do as I say not do as I do," evoke a complex interplay between mentor and mentee, one that vacillates between implicit trust and questioned authority.

The scene shifts to a New York apartment where Schwartz is quoted as discussing "Finnegans Wake" and sharing a photograph of his parents. This setting is intimate and reveals how Schwartz himself is grappling with existential questions about happiness, influence, and culture. When Schwartz questions whether his parents in the photograph from Coney Island look happy, it isn't just an isolated query; it's a reflection of his broader contemplations. The image serves as a microcosm, provoking questions about appearances and realities, and about the elusive nature of happiness itself.

The poem subtly critiques conventional wisdom and the often superficial comforts people offer in the face of existential dilemmas. "People say yes everyone is dying / But here read this happy book on the subject," notes the speaker. Against this backdrop, the speaker yearns for "something sad but however true" from Schwartz, recognizing a kind of authenticity in the late poet's "rueful" disposition. The term "rueful" captures a complex blend of regret, wisdom, and a kind of acceptance-all qualities the speaker finds conspicuously absent in popular discourse.

Throughout the poem, Koch maneuvers through the labyrinth of his interactions with Schwartz, contemplating the latter's complexities and inconsistencies. He remembers him as a man of depth, someone who contradicts himself in a way that only adds to his allure as a figure of wisdom. Schwartz isn't a simplified mentor figure, but a man full of uncertainties, wrestling with the complexities of life, culture, and the human condition. It's precisely these attributes, these questions without easy answers, that make the speaker miss Schwartz and wish for his sad but authentic counsel.

The inclusion of Walt Kelly and his comic strip "Pogo" serves multiple purposes in the poem: it deepens the character of Delmore Schwartz, offers insights into the intellectual climate of the time, and provides a lens through which to examine the intersections of popular and high culture. Through this single reference, Koch manages to weave together threads of personal memory, intellectual pursuit, and cultural commentary.

"A Momentary Longing to Hear Sad Advice from One Long Dead" is an elegy not just for a person but also for a kind of wisdom-complex, inconvenient, and irreplaceable-that the speaker finds missing in the world around him. It's a yearning for a conversation that traverses the superficial, engaging instead with the unsettling truths that give life its richness and its challenges.

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