Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Richard Wilbur's "Junk" is a deeply textured exploration of obsolescence, craftsmanship, and the cyclical nature of all things. The poem opens with a quote in Old English from "Waldere," referring to the legendary blacksmith Wayland and his craftsmanship, immediately contrasting the lasting art of yesteryears with the disposable culture of today. The focus then shifts to contemporary waste-a damaged axe, plastic toys, and paper plates all discarded and waiting for removal.

The items in the poem are characterized as "hell's handiwork," emphasizing the lack of care and skill that went into their creation. The wood is "not hickory," the grain's flow "not faithfully followed," indicating the loss of craftsmanship and the integrity of material. This dismissal of quality is not just an aesthetic concern for Wilbur; it is also an ethical one. He refers to "the men who make them for a little money," likening them to compromised athletes who barter their pride, as their creations reflect a broader cultural lack of integrity and value.

Yet, amidst this lament for lost craftsmanship and material degradation, the objects are credited with a sort of "thoughtless honor." They "have kept composure, like captives who would not talk under torture." Wilbur attributes a kind of stoic dignity to these discarded items. They may be the products of a flawed system, yet they possess a resilience that invites contemplation.

The second half of the poem transitions from the condemnation of contemporary manufacturing to a quasi-apocalyptic yet renewing vision where these discarded items "waste in the weather toward what they were." The sun glories "in the glitter of glass-chips," and the "blistering paint peels off in patches," as if nature itself is reclaiming these materials, stripping them down to their elemental selves. Finally, the discarded items are imagined to be "burnt, bulldozed," and "buried to the depth of diamonds," which in the mythical context could refer to the depths of the Earth where Hephaestus and Wayland, smithing gods of ancient myth, keep their forges. Here, Wilbur might be suggesting a cyclical interpretation of waste and artistry, where even discarded items eventually return to their elemental states, ready to be crafted anew by masterful hands.

The last line, "And Wayland's work is worn away," echoes the initial quote, but also encapsulates the poem's paradox: even the best of crafts eventually erode, but so do the worst. There is a democratic decay at work in the world, and this decay is transformative, bringing everything back to its foundational elements, offering the possibility of new creations.

In its rich language and layered allusions, "Junk" paints a complex picture of consumer culture's relationship with art, utility, and ethics. It critiques the temporary and disposable nature of modern goods, but also finds a kind of redemption in the cyclical processes of nature and time. It's a dark but also redemptive perspective, offering a glimmer of hope that what is wasted today may be the raw material for tomorrow's art.

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