Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Omar Khayyam," a poem by Christopher Pearse Cranch, is an homage to the 11th-century Persian polymath Omar Khayyam, renowned for his poetic quatrains, the Rubaiyat. Khayyam's original work delves into existential questions of fate, human free will, and the mysteries of life and death. Cranch's tribute poem, likewise, is steeped in contemplation, capturing both the essence of Khayyam's verses and extending their applicability to a contemporary, likely Western, audience.

The poem is structured as a continuous stream of reflection, with rhyme scheme varying and appearing more fluid, thus aligning with the organic thought process of the speaker. This absence of rigid structure complements the subject matter, which dwells on the fluid, often ambiguous nature of life and faith.

Cranch initiates his poem by articulating the impact Khayyam's writings have had on him: "Reading in Omar till the thoughts that burned / Upon his pages seemed to be inurned / Within me in a silent fire." This sentiment echoes the universal and timeless nature of Khayyam's words, suggesting a transference of wisdom across epochs and geographies.

Cranch acknowledges Khayyam as a "Vine-crowned free-thinker" and a "Brave bard," emphasizing his courageous questioning of life's ultimate purposes. In lines like "Baffled by life's enigmas, like the crowd / Who strove before and since to see the cloud / Lift from the mountain pinnacles of faith," Cranch identifies Khayyam as part of a long-standing tradition of philosophers and poets who grapple with existential questions, thereby aligning himself and his readers with this tradition.

However, Cranch's poem is not merely an ode to Khayyam but also a critique, particularly of the Persian poet's views on fatalism: "Yet this we know. Thy symbol of the jar / Suits not our western manhood, left to mar / Or make, in part, the clay 't is moulded of." Cranch contends that the notion of human life as a predestined "jar" or "ball thrown from the player's hand" does not align with the Western ideology that emphasizes individual agency.

In another layer of interpretation, Cranch moves beyond merely reading Khayyam through a Western lens, to a universalist approach: "I read a larger meaning in the sage, / A modern comment on a far-off age; / And take the truth, and leave the error out." Cranch suggests that while times and perspectives have evolved, the elemental truths in Khayyam's work remain relevant.

Culturally and historically, Cranch's poem serves as a bridge between Eastern and Western philosophies. It is an instance of a Western poet deeply engaging with Eastern thought, reflective of a broader 19th-century interest in Orientalism, while also subjecting it to critique based on Western ideals of individualism and agency.

To sum up, "Omar Khayyam" by Christopher Pearse Cranch is a multifaceted work that both venerates and interrogates the wisdom of its ancient muse. Through the lens of his Western perspective, Cranch sifts through the philosophical implications of Omar Khayyam's verses, adopting what he finds universally applicable and offering counter-arguments where he finds ideological disconnects. By doing so, he elevates the dialogue to a discourse that transcends time and geography, underscoring the enduring relevance of wrestling with life's inscrutable questions.

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...