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Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | |||
Mark Doty's poem "Lilies in New York" is a contemplative exploration of the act of artistic creation, interwoven with an examination of urban life's complexity and vibrancy. Through the description of a drawing of lilies, Doty delves into themes of perception, representation, and the inherent tension between the completeness and incompletion in art. The poem not only discusses the technical aspects of drawing but also metaphorically relates these to the broader human experience, particularly within the bustling context of New York City. The poem starts by describing a detailed drawing that begins with a precise depiction of a lily's pot and leaves, rendered in graphite with meticulous attention to texture and form. As the description moves up the stem to the flowers, the detail diminishes, leaving the blooms only lightly sketched. This shift in detail from the base to the flower provokes the central inquiry of the poem: why has the artist left the drawing unfinished at the top? Doty suggests several possibilities for this artistic choice. One interpretation is that the artist wants to remind viewers of the artifice involved in representation: what they are seeing is a drawing, not the flower itself. This acknowledgment of illusion as trickery might serve as a formal jest, emphasizing the art over the depicted object. Another possibility is that the artist feels overwhelmed by the challenge of capturing the delicate beauty of the lilies, admitting his limitations through the incomplete depiction. Alternatively, the artist might prefer to dwell in the process—the "push of areas of darkness," the dynamic energy of creation—rather than achieving a polished final product. The poem then shifts to a broader meditation on the nature of the city itself, drawing a parallel between the tumult of the drawing process and the chaotic, energetic life of New York City. Doty uses vivid urban imagery to depict the city as a place of noise, movement, and collision, suggesting that the artist's medium (charcoal) captures this urban vibrancy as "a medium of solidified sound." This depiction reflects the city's dynamic nature as an ever-changing, living entity that both forms around and is formed by its inhabitants and their creations. In the final section, Doty expands this idea to suggest that the lilies, the artist, and the city are engaged in a continuous interaction, a "field of pressure and distortion" where everything is interconnected. The city and the lilies are not separate but are parts of a larger whole, influencing and defining one another. The poem concludes by portraying the lilies as perpetually "about to speak," suggesting potential and becoming—a state of constant emergence and expression, much like the city itself. "Lilies in New York" is a rich and layered poem that uses the metaphor of an incomplete drawing to explore deep questions about art, perception, and urban life. Doty’s skillful use of imagery and metaphor invites readers to consider the ways in which art reflects and shapes reality, and how moments of incompleteness or imperfection can lead to deeper understanding and appreciation of both the artistic process and human experience in the modern world.
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