Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Andre Breton's poem "It Was Going On Five In The Morning" is a complex, intricate web of images, themes, and emotions. The poet, known as one of the founders of the Surrealist movement, paints a scene that is both ordinary and fantastical, grounded in reality yet transcending it. The juxtaposition of the everyday-represented by the time and the Maternity Hospital-and the otherworldly-evidenced by phrases like "A glowworm / Lifted Paris like a leaf"-creates a tension that gives the poem its unique, ethereal quality.

The opening lines immediately set a surreal scene. Time is not merely ticking; it is "going on," as if it has its own agenda. The "ship of steam" adds a ghostly image, further heightened by the phrase "stretched its chain to shatter the windows." The poem refuses to offer a clear narrative or a traditional sense of space and time. Instead, we are plunged into a dreamscape where the lines between reality and imagination blur.

The heart of the poem beats with themes of life, death, and the transient nature of both. The "scream from the Maternity Hospital" represents the pain of childbirth, perhaps symbolizing the difficulty of existence itself. The poem, in its chaotic beauty, captures the cycle of life and death, of creation and destruction. This is evident in lines like "whatever joy escaped in the exhalation of that pain," suggesting that even in suffering, there is a form of joy or relief, perhaps the joy of creation or existence.

Moreover, the poem is rife with complex metaphors and symbols that defy easy interpretation. For instance, the "hermetic bell" and "Undine" add a layer of mysticism and folklore. Undine is a water nymph in Germanic mythology, and the name here might represent an unattainable or fantastical ideal. The bell could be an allusion to time, mortality, or even fate. The phrase "spearheaded Sagittarius pedal" is equally mysterious, possibly referring to the astrological symbol Sagittarius, known for traits like optimism and freedom, which could be tied back to the poem's overarching themes.

The poem also plays with structure and style. It is one continuous block of text, lacking punctuation marks, further emphasizing the blur between dream and reality. The poem can be seen as a single breath, a single experience, or a single moment-adding to its surreal quality. The inconsistent capitalization perhaps serves to emphasize the words, turning them into events or characters within the story of the poem.

On the level of historical and cultural context, Breton wrote during a period where conventional ways of thinking were being questioned and overthrown, both in art and in society. Surrealism sought to break the boundaries between the conscious and unconscious mind, between what is real and what is imagined. His work came after World War I, a time when many artists and thinkers were disillusioned with established norms. Therefore, the poem can also be read as a response to its time: a surreal landscape that seeks to explore new avenues of thought and perception.

In conclusion, "It Was Going On Five In The Morning" is a surreal, complex poem that defies easy interpretation. Its thematic explorations of life, death, and transient beauty, coupled with its unique structure and intricate imagery, make it a compelling read that opens up more questions than it answers-a fitting tribute to the enigmatic nature of human existence.

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