Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Ustica," translated by Charles Tomlinson, is a complex and multi-layered poem by Octavio Paz that plunges into the realms of mortality, existence, nature, and the inherent dualities within them. The poem starts with a focus on "the successive suns of summer," launching the reader into a contemplation of endless cycles. The sun, a universal symbol of life and vitality, undergoes a transformation and becomes "Obstinate and tawny bone," a darkness that precedes a storm, a cooling of matter. This immediate juxtaposition sets the tone for the rest of the poem, where elements that signify life are intrinsically linked to those that signify its cessation or alteration.

The imagery in the first part of the poem is profoundly elemental and geological, involving "Fist of stone," "Pine-cone of lava," and "Ossuary." These images are neither earth nor island; they are harder, more permanent, and yet devoid of life. The term "ossuary," a container or room into which the bones of the dead are placed, is particularly striking, as it connects geological features to mortality.

As we proceed through the poem, water is introduced as another elemental force, one that is "Troubled by the sea." The portrayal of water as a living, breathing entity adds a layer of complexity to Paz's narrative. The time is late, the light is "greening," and even the wine, another symbol of vitality, is rendered as an "obscure body" that is "darker and cooler." Here, the theme of mortality deepens, suggesting that even in elements we associate with life, darkness prevails.

The poem then makes a shift to the underwater world with its "roses of the depths" and "candelabrum of pinkish veins," but even these life forms suffer an extinguishing force when brought ashore by the sun. The imagery becomes one of pale, "chalky lace," again suggesting the transformative and often annihilating power of natural elements.

"You are beside me," the speaker notes, introducing human presence. The companion's thoughts are "black and golden," indicating a duality or ambivalence that fits well with the poem's overarching themes. To "extend a hand" becomes an act of gathering "a cluster of truths intact," a powerful image that echoes the complexities of human understanding and connection.

The poem culminates in a sort of revelation about mortality, with a description of a sea "full of arms" and "Vertigoes." Here, the physical and metaphysical worlds collide, resulting in an epiphany that "Mortality is transparency." This transparency is not just an end but also a sort of beginning, encapsulated in the word "Ossuary: paradise."

Finally, the poem ends with an unsettling image of "incestuous trees" in a "garden on the dead's domain," symbolizing perhaps the intricate, complicated relations between life and death, between the generative and the degenerative.

"Ustica" is an enthralling poetic journey that dives deep into the elemental and existential, offering a nuanced exploration of the interconnectedness and contradictions of life and mortality.

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