Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

David Lehman's "With Tenure" takes aim at the institution of tenure in academia, employing a tone of irony and dissatisfaction to discuss its potential drawbacks. At the outset, the poem imagines a scenario where Ezra Pound, a towering figure in 20th-century poetry, would be "teaching at a small college in the Pacific Northwest." By placing Pound, often considered a radical and controversial figure, in such a setting, Lehman underscores the incongruity and sets the stage for his critique of tenure.

The choice of Ezra Pound as the figure railing against tenure is significant. Pound was notorious for his avant-garde views and his criticism of institutions, thus making him an appropriate mouthpiece for critiquing a system that many argue stifles creativity and innovation. Lehman's Pound calls tenure "a ladder whose rungs slip out" and accuses it of killing "the spirit." Such strong condemnations invite us to consider how the safety net of tenure may inadvertently stifle the drive to venture into intellectually risky territory.

Lehman moves to illustrate his point by citing monumental works of art and literature that were not produced under the shelter of tenure: "Hamlet was not written with tenure," nor were "Schubert's lieder" composed or "Manet's Olympia painted with tenure." By invoking these masterpieces, Lehman suggests that true genius requires a freedom that is often compromised by the complacency that can accompany job security. "No man of genius rises by tenure," he claims, also adding a parenthetical nod to women, as if acknowledging the often overlooked contributions of female artists and scholars.

The poem also addresses the minutiae of academic life, pointing to symbols like the "pipe in his jacket's breast pocket," which decay and lose their significance under the weight of tenure. There's a texture of lifelessness and stagnation evoked through these details, underscoring Lehman's argument that tenure can turn scholars into "drones."

The last few lines of the poem employ Latin ("et in academia ego"), punning on the phrase "Et in Arcadia ego," a memento mori often translated as "Even in Arcadia, there am I" (with "I" referring to death). The original phrase is a reminder that death is inevitable, even in ideal settings. By replacing "Arcadia" with "academia," Lehman cleverly adapts the phrase to his theme, suggesting that even within the Ivory Tower-a supposed paradise of intellectual pursuit-there is a form of death, a stagnation represented by tenure.

The poem wraps up with a series of everyday images-stuck ketchup, unanswered letters, a silent bell-that underscore the inertia and ineffectiveness Lehman associates with tenure. In these final images, the reader senses the full weight of the poem's critique: that tenure, meant to protect academic freedom and intellectual pursuit, may instead stifle creativity and foster mediocrity. Thus, Lehman leaves us questioning the value and purpose of an institution long considered a pillar of academic life.

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...