Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Richard Hugo's poem "Northwest Retrospective: Mark Tobey" is an exploration of art, perception, and the cosmic scale of existence, woven together through the lens of Mark Tobey’s abstract expressionist work. Hugo’s language, rich in metaphor and layered with cultural and scientific references, invites readers to reflect on the nature of artistic creation and its capacity to capture both the minute and the infinite.

The poem opens with a rhetorical question: "What life is better—stone and stone?" This line seems to question the value of permanence and solidity, suggesting that there might be more to life and art than what is fixed and unchanging. The mention of "freaks" being "honored in the East with shrines" points to a cultural practice of venerating the unusual, the unique, and the sacred, even when these qualities manifest in unconventional forms. This respect for the "strange" is contrasted with the commodification of color in the market, where "men are selling color cheap as fruit," hinting at the commercialization and trivialization of what should be profound.

Hugo then turns to the act of painting, where "faint line extending, splits and lives, returns and multiplies." This description echoes Tobey’s signature style of intricate, web-like lines that often resemble the spontaneous and interconnected patterns of nature. The line, in Hugo's view, is not just a mark on the canvas but a dynamic entity that "becomes a net and traps our eyes with salmon," a reference perhaps to the way Tobey’s art captures the viewer’s attention and imagination, much like a fishing net captures its prey. The line also "is silk and floating, or is quiet like a map," showing the versatility and subtlety of Tobey's work, which can be both delicate and profound, guiding viewers through new realms of understanding.

The poem then poses a more abstract question: "What drums are driving migratory ants through charming lakes?" This image suggests the underlying rhythms and forces that drive life and movement, forces that are perhaps invisible yet ever-present. The mention of "beholders weep[ing]" introduces the emotional response that art can evoke, but Hugo quickly subverts the sentimentality by asking, "what painter needs their tears to mix tomorrow's oils?" This line implies that genuine art does not rely on the emotional reactions of its audience to justify its existence or to fuel future creativity; instead, it stands on its own, independent of external validation.

Hugo then takes the reader on a journey through time and space, where "harmony was contraband," a nod to the tension between artistic freedom and societal constraints. The "cirrus circled Mars and left white trails of pain that hung for centuries" evokes a cosmic scale of suffering and endurance, suggesting that art and experience are not confined to earthly concerns but resonate across the universe. The line "A line of poetry is not a painter's line, and in museums flight is not allowed" draws a distinction between different forms of artistic expression, each with its own limitations and possibilities. The prohibition of "flight" in museums hints at the static nature of traditional art spaces, where the dynamism of life and movement is often subdued or contained.

The poem then transcends the terrestrial, moving "Beyond Van Allen rings," a reference to the radiation belts that protect Earth from cosmic radiation. Here, the stars "don't glitter, arrogant as moons," suggesting a more complex and perhaps less romanticized view of the cosmos, one where the typical symbols of beauty and wonder are stripped of their familiar luster.

The final stanzas reflect on the origins and purpose of human existence: "When did we start? Light-years ago. / Why did we come? No matter." These lines suggest that the search for meaning in our beginnings is less important than the recognition of our current state and the inevitability of our journey forward. The dismissal of the "research terms" associated with space exploration and technology—"cryogenic fuels, free radicals, plasma jets, coordinated fusion"—in favor of the more abstract concept that "a universe is fusing in our eyes" emphasizes the idea that the most significant fusion is not a physical or scientific one, but rather the merging of perception and reality, the internal and the external, as experienced through art and consciousness.

"Northwest Retrospective: Mark Tobey" is a meditation on the relationship between art, the individual, and the cosmos. Richard Hugo uses the work of Mark Tobey as a springboard to explore larger existential themes, questioning the nature of artistic creation and its ability to capture the complexities of existence. Through a series of vivid images and philosophical reflections, Hugo invites the reader to consider the ways in which art transcends its medium, fusing with the universe to create new forms of understanding and meaning. The poem suggests that while art may be rooted in specific cultural or historical contexts, its true power lies in its ability to connect us to the infinite, to the vastness of space and time, and to the deep mysteries of life itself.

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