Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Exalted Image" by Louise Gluck confronts the complexities of human emotion and experience through a narrative lens that pivots between scenes of ordinary life and profound existential contemplation. The poem traces an arc from observations about the world-seen through objects and actions-to deeper questions about emptiness, self, and identity, ultimately landing in the realm of the poetic or the dream.

The poem begins with depictions of pairs: "Not one animal, but two. / Not one plate, dwarfed by cutlery, / but a pair of plates, a tablecloth." This imagery creates an immediate atmosphere of companionship, perhaps even intimacy. It sets a precedent for the poem to later discuss the concept of "the self / replicated in another self." These simple scenes in the market or the dark theater are, however, likened to "Parts of a shrine, like a shrine in church, / blurred by candles." The religious connotation infuses these ordinary images with an aspect of the sacred or the monumental, hinting at a deeper quest for meaning.

The child introduced in the middle stanzas serves as a focal point for the emotional complexities of the poem. This "blemished one" operates in isolation, "earnestly applying what his teacher calls / his good mind to his assignment." The image of the child laboring alone evokes the idea that human experiences-of loneliness, struggle, and perhaps even genius-are formed in these quiet, unnoticed moments.

Gluck then questions, "With what do you fill an empty life?" and the answer comes in the form of "amorous figures," perhaps a metaphorical expression for love or a life imbued with emotion. These figures, however, are not without their baggage. They carry "ashes of the actual life," which are defined as "Ashes, disappointment."

In the latter part of the poem, the focus shifts from the child to a more omniscient perspective, reflecting on the eternal human desire to be "suspended in time." Here, "time" is anthropomorphized as "impatient," wanting to "go on," yet it lies "quietly there, like an animal," in the presence of love, as if the moment could be frozen forever. This presents a tension between our ephemeral experiences and our yearning for permanence.

The poem concludes with an homage to the "exalted figure of the poet, figure of the dreamer," portraying them as entities capable of seeing and understanding the nuances of human experience, capturing "all the writhing, the crying out." In this sense, the poet becomes the restorer of lost moments, feelings, and dreams-a fitting end for a work that starts with ordinary life and ascends to the metaphysical, exploring both the tangible and intangible dimensions of human existence.

"Exalted Image" is an intricate tapestry of images and ideas, drawing on everyday moments to explore philosophical questions. Louise Gluck's masterful weaving of the mundane and the metaphysical reveals the layers of complexity that define our lives, serving as a testament to the potency of poetry to convey the intricacies of the human condition.

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...