Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Mary Kinzie?s "Superbia: A Triumph with No Train" offers a compelling exploration of disconnection, longing, and the fraught terrain of human relationships. The poem employs a dramatic monologue structure, in which the speaker recounts a surreal, disconcerting phone call that may or may not have been from a lover. This ambiguous interaction unfolds within a richly textured world of memory, desire, and existential questioning, blurring the lines between reality and illusion. Kinzie uses this premise to meditate on themes of authenticity, identity, and the persistent yearning for connection.

The poem opens with a striking invocation: "They?ve loosed the Opposites who throng the middle air, and Antichrist." This introduction sets a tone of apocalyptic grandeur, suggesting a world where binaries collapse and chaos reigns. The invocation of "Antichrist" immediately imbues the narrative with a mythic, almost theological weight, framing the subsequent events as a struggle between opposing forces—truth and falsehood, love and deceit, self and other. This metaphysical backdrop lends the speaker?s personal turmoil an air of universality, linking her experience to larger existential questions.

The central event of the poem—the phone call—unfolds with a mix of intimacy and estrangement. The caller?s voice is described as both seductive and dissonant, "pretending to be you," creating an eerie doubleness that mirrors the speaker?s inner conflict. The dialogue oscillates between tenderness and suspicion, with the speaker simultaneously drawn to and repelled by the caller?s words. The question "How much I wanted him?" exposes the speaker?s vulnerability, her desire for affirmation clashing with her growing unease.

Kinzie?s language is meticulously crafted, capturing the complexity of the speaker?s emotional state. Phrases like "the snowy light of four o?clock" and "lounging in a public room / with grey pianos" evoke a liminal, dreamlike atmosphere, where time and space feel suspended. The use of "grey" and "snowy" underscores the emotional coldness and ambiguity of the interaction, while the mention of "pianos" suggests an unrealized harmony, a potential connection left unresolved.

A key tension in the poem arises from the speaker?s struggle to reconcile her idealized image of the caller with the unsettling reality of their conversation. She refers to him as "my real, my mythical gold magus, rugged knight," invoking a romanticized archetype that contrasts sharply with his "droning voice" and "unsavory, unchoice" tone. This dissonance underscores the theme of disillusionment, as the speaker confronts the gap between her expectations and the disappointing truth.

The poem also interrogates the nature of memory and its role in shaping identity. The speaker laments the caller?s inability to recall "a simple thing particular to what we lug around in memory for years," such as "venetian blinds, wistaria, the sparrow on the sill." These details, though seemingly trivial, represent the shared experiences and intimate knowledge that anchor relationships in authenticity. Without them, the conversation becomes "fluent but unreal," highlighting the fragility of connection in the absence of genuine recognition.

Kinzie?s exploration of power dynamics further complicates the narrative. The speaker initially appears vulnerable, at the mercy of the caller?s manipulative charm. However, as the conversation progresses, she gains clarity and agency, culminating in her pointed demand: "Who are you finally?" This moment of defiance disrupts the caller?s control, forcing him to confront his own pretense. His response—"Dear, how drunk and stupid do you think I am?"—reveals his inadequacy, his inability to sustain the illusion of intimacy. The abrupt disappearance that follows underscores the emptiness of his performance, leaving the speaker alone but empowered.

The poem concludes with a bitterly ironic twist: "It was, I fear, an excellent / wrong number. He marked it in his book." This final revelation reframes the entire interaction, suggesting that the caller?s motives were transactional, his "ache of tenderness" a calculated act. The phrase "excellent wrong number" captures the speaker?s mingled disappointment and dark humor, acknowledging the absurdity of her misplaced yearning. The image of the caller "marking it in his book" evokes a sense of cold detachment, reducing their shared moment to a mere entry in a ledger.

"Superbia: A Triumph with No Train" is a masterful exploration of the complexities of human connection, blending psychological depth with lyrical precision. Kinzie delves into the fragile interplay of desire, memory, and identity, illuminating the ways in which we construct and deconstruct relationships. The poem?s ambiguous ending leaves readers with a sense of unresolved tension, mirroring the speaker?s own journey toward self-awareness. It is a work that invites multiple readings, each yielding new insights into the labyrinthine nature of love and longing.

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