Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"In the Smoking-Car" by Richard Wilbur is a poignant poem that delves into the liminal space between consciousness and sleep, reality and reverie. It explores the complicated relationship we have with notions of success and failure, as mediated through the daydreams and subconscious imaginings of an apparently worn-out man, probably a commuter, catching a short nap in the smoking-car of a train.

The poem opens with a straightforward setting: a man whose "eyelids meet," signaling the onset of sleep or perhaps the desire to escape the pressures of daily life. His briefcase sits on his lap, serving as a symbol of his responsibilities and the societal expectations he carries. As he drifts into sleep, "Close voices breathe, 'Poor sweet, he did his best,'" suggesting an empathy or leniency we often reserve only for the subconscious, for our fantasies. This initial stanza sets the tone for a critique of societal values related to labor and self-worth, encapsulated in the phrase, "he did his best."

As the man slips further into his dream world, the poem becomes increasingly lush and exotic, depicting an idyllic landscape where "bird-hushed glades repeat," "native girls with naked feet" carry him, and a "sighing stream concurs in his repose." Here, the poem grapples with themes of escapism and the human desire for peace and acknowledgment, albeit in a highly romanticized and orientalist vision.

The third stanza introduces a sense of loss and nostalgia, as the sleeping man nearly recalls "the dear ones left behind" and the challenges he faced in his life-implied to be either "righteous mutiny or sudden gale." Yet, just "so near the ending, he forgets the tale." This reflects the human tendency to lose sight of our life stories when comfort or the dream of it seems within reach, or perhaps it suggests a willed forgetting, a need to escape the hardships of his past.

The final stanzas pull the reader back to the immediate reality. Here, even in his dreams, the man lacks the "appetite" to fully engage with the pleasures before him. It's as though the thought of dreaming is "enough," a small comfort that cushions him against the hard contours of life. The last lines unveil the poem's most potent symbol: "Failure, the longed-for valley, takes him in." Contrary to societal narratives that demonize failure, here it becomes a refuge, a soft place to land when one is weary of perpetual striving.

The ABAB rhyme scheme in "In the Smoking-Car" serves to both contrast and emphasize the poem's exploration of failure, exhaustion, and existential confusion. By employing a traditional, stable form, Wilbur brings the dissonance between appearance and reality, between external calm and internal chaos, into sharper relief. The rhyme scheme is both a foil and a complement to the complex emotional states portrayed, making it a crucial element in the poem's overall impact.

"In the Smoking-Car" offers a subtle yet biting critique of our relentless pursuit of success, our societal notions of what "doing your best" means, and the subsequent emotional and physical toll it exacts. Using the metaphor of a journey, both literal and metaphorical, Wilbur delves into the complexities of the human condition, presenting failure not as a dead end, but as a different kind of destination-one that can offer solace and acceptance if we allow ourselves to inhabit it fully.

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