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LATE IMPRESSIONIST DREAM, by             Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography

Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s poem "Late Impressionist Dream" is a vivid exploration of nostalgia, culture, and surrealistic imagination. The poem blends elements of Impressionist painting, literature, and personal fantasy to create a scene that is both whimsical and reflective. Through this dream-like sequence, Ferlinghetti captures the beauty of bygone eras while revealing the lingering pull of personal and historical roots.

The poem opens with the speaker describing a "late Impressionist dream" in which he is "riding in an open touring-car with a / group of French women in summer dresses and picture hats." The imagery immediately evokes the leisurely, idyllic scenes characteristic of late Impressionist paintings, where people enjoy life with a sense of elegance and carefree joy. The women in "summer dresses and picture hats" are accompanied by "uncles in grey doeskin vests and striped shirts with armbands," adding to the nostalgic charm of the scene.

Everyone in the car is "laughing and chattering in French as if no other language had yet become socially accepted," creating an atmosphere where the beauty of the French language and culture is unchallenged. This emphasis on French evokes a sense of exclusivity and timelessness, as if they are living in a world untouched by the passage of time or changing social norms.

The group arrives at "an outdoor cafe by the Seine on the outskirts of Paris as in a Manet painting," where they sit "under an arbor by the river / drinking wine and eating a grand picnic out of wicker hampers." This scene is reminiscent of Edouard Manet's impressionistic style, where the focus is on the leisurely moments of life and the beauty of simple pleasures. The wine and picnic embody the carefree and communal spirit of French culture.

As they enjoy the afternoon, "some loud young men drift by in punts on the river / looking sheepishly like young American college students." They are "singing a drinking song about Whiffenpoofs," a nod to Yale University's Whiffenpoofs, a cappella group. This humorous intrusion of American culture into the idyllic French scene creates a contrast between the two worlds, yet "we go on talking French as if nothing else in the real world were happening anywhere." The insistence on speaking French maintains the dream-like bubble, protecting it from external influences.

The scene then takes on a literary dimension as "all the people around me turn into characters out of Marcel Proust / and we are all in "Swann's Way" in a budding grove." Ferlinghetti references Proust's "In Search of Lost Time" and specifically "Swann's Way", where the budding grove represents the world of love and memory. The "straight Odette chez Swann" adds a whimsical twist, referring to Odette de Crécy, a central character in Proust's work, who is often portrayed in complex romantic relationships.

Suddenly, the serene atmosphere is shattered when "Blaise Cendrars bursts in waving a newspaper headline screaming 'L'OR! L'OR!'" Cendrars, a real-life poet and adventurer, introduces an element of excitement and urgency as "gold has been discovered in California." The sudden call to the Gold Rush disrupts the idyllic French scene, and the speaker "must leave immediately."

The poem concludes with the speaker waking up "in my cabin in Big Sur / looking like a French Canuck Jack Kerouac." This line reveals the blending of personal identity and cultural references, where Ferlinghetti imagines himself as both French and North American. The sound of the sea reminds him of his Breton roots, where "the fish still speak Breton," highlighting the deep connection to his ancestral heritage.

In "Late Impressionist Dream," Ferlinghetti masterfully combines art, literature, and fantasy to create a whimsical journey that reflects the joy of cultural immersion while acknowledging the pull of personal and historical identities. The poem serves as a tribute to the timeless beauty of Impressionist art and French literature, capturing the spirit of adventure and longing that characterizes the poet's own life.


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