Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"What It Does" by David Ferry is a succinct and reflective poem that explores the transformative power of poetry, particularly its ability to engage with and represent catastrophic events with a seeming sense of joy. Through concise imagery and rhetorical questioning, the poem delves into the paradox of finding aesthetic pleasure in the depiction of destruction and suffering.

The poem begins by describing natural and possibly man-made disasters in a matter-of-fact tone: "The sea bit, / As they said it would, / And the hill slid, / As they said it would." This straightforward recounting of events sets a stark backdrop, emphasizing inevitability and the expected course of nature or fate. The use of "bit" and "slid" personifies the sea and hill, giving these elements active roles in their destructive behaviors, which are accepted as foretold or inevitable.

Following this, the poem shifts focus to "the poor dead / Nodded agog / The poor head." This image of the dead nodding brings a macabre irony to the scene. The use of "agog," typically a word used to describe intense interest or excitement, juxtaposed with the dead, deepens the irony, suggesting a chilling detachment or a surreal engagement with their own fate.

The reference to the "topmost lofty / Tower of Troy" introduces a historical and literary allusion that enriches the poem's exploration of disaster and poetry. Troy, known for its destruction in ancient mythology and literature, becomes a symbol of grandeur doomed to fall. This sets the stage for the poem’s contemplation on the role of poetry in narrating such epic tragedies.

The speaker then reflects on the nature of the poem itself, noting it "apparently / Speaks with joy / Of terrible things." This observation addresses a fundamental question about the nature of art: Why and how does it find joy or beauty in the depiction of disaster and suffering? The query "Where is the pleasure / The poetry brings?" is both an existential and rhetorical question, challenging the reader to consider the complex emotional and aesthetic responses elicited by poetry.

In the closing lines, the poem asks, "Tell if you can, / What does it make?" This question is about the creation process and the outcomes of poetic endeavors. The lines that follow, "A city of man / That will not shake, / Or if it shake, / Shake with the splendor / Of the poem’s pleasure," suggest that poetry constructs something enduring and robust out of human experience, even from its catastrophes. The imagery of a city that either remains unshaken or shakes with splendor encapsulates the idea that poetry, while rooted in the realities of human experience, transcends these through the beauty and force of its expression.

Overall, "What It Does" by David Ferry is a profound meditation on the capacity of poetry to transform and elevate the harsh realities of life into artistic expressions that resonate with both joy and splendor. It captures the unique power of poetry to construct meaning and beauty from the chaos and destruction of human experiences, posing enduring questions about the nature of art and its pleasures.

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