Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"In Praise of (C10H9O5)x" by John Updike playfully celebrates the durability and seemingly eternal life of a terylene tie, using this motif to explore themes of human mortality and the enduring nature of synthetic materials. Through a blend of humor and poetic craft, Updike contrasts the permanence of human-made fibers with the transience of human life.

The poem begins with a light-hearted anecdote from a chemistry book, setting the stage for a reflection on the qualities of terylene (a type of polyester). Updike adopts a tone of mock reverence to describe the tie's resistance to natural forces and time: "For time can never wither, stale, / Shred, shrink, fray, fade, or tear it." This list of verbs humorously underscores the invulnerability of synthetic materials, which stand in stark contrast to the natural aging processes that affect all organic matter.

Updike continues to enumerate the environmental challenges that the tie withstands effortlessly. From the "storms of January" that fail to loosen it, to the "rains of April" that cannot stain it, and through to "July's hot sun" and "December's snow," the tie remains impervious to all. Each month's attempt to impact the tie is met with futility, emphasizing the unnatural resilience of the material.

As the poem progresses, the tone shifts slightly to contemplate the speaker's own mortality: "When I'm below, / Dissolving in that halcyon / Retort, my carbohydrates shed / From off my frame of calcium—." Here, Updike uses scientific language to describe the decomposition of the human body in terms that mirror chemical processes. This clinical description serves to heighten the contrast between the degrading organic body and the unchanging synthetic tie.

In the final lines, Updike imagines the tie outliving him, lying "across my crumbling sternum" as a "spanking fresh cravat / Unsullied ad aternum." The image of the tie remaining "spanking fresh" atop a decaying body is both comical and macabre, pointing to the absurdity of creating materials that outlast their users by centuries.

The concluding reflection on the longevity of terylene, which "Shall never be unknotted," serves as a poignant commentary on human efforts to achieve permanence through artificial means. While humans are bound by the biological limit of "Three score and ten" years, their creations, like the terylene tie, may endure indefinitely.

"In Praise of (C10H9O5)x" is a clever and thoughtful meditation on the intersection of human mortality, the persistence of synthetic products, and the implications of our reliance on materials that defy natural cycles of decay and renewal. Updike uses the seemingly trivial subject of a terylene tie to engage with deeper philosophical questions, wrapping profound insights in wry humor and elegant verse.

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