Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Richard Hugo’s "Underwater Autumn" is a vivid exploration of the tension and unease that permeate a seemingly tranquil underwater environment. The poem’s title juxtaposes the season of autumn, typically associated with change and decay, with the setting of an underwater world, suggesting a parallel between the two realms where both life and death coexist in a delicate balance.

The poem begins with an image of a "summer perch" that "flips twice and glides / a lateral fathom at the first cold rain." The perch’s movement signifies a shift, perhaps from the lazy, warm days of summer to the cooler, more unsettling days of autumn. The "first cold rain" acts as a catalyst, propelling the fish into a new environment where the "surface near to silver from a frosty hill" reflects the seasonal change above. This imagery of the surface turning silver hints at the coming of winter, where the world above and below water will soon be in stark contrast.

Hugo introduces a variety of fish, each representing a different response to the changes in their environment. The trout, "his stream-toned heart / locked in the lake, his poise and nerve disgraced," is depicted as out of place, struggling to adapt to his new surroundings. The trout, typically a creature of swift, clear streams, now finds itself in the stillness of a lake, its natural instincts and grace compromised. The phrase "stream-toned heart" evokes a sense of longing and dislocation, as if the trout’s very essence is tied to the flowing waters of a stream, now absent.

As the poem progresses, the calmness of the water is revealed to be an illusion. "Surface calm and calm act mask the detonating fear," Hugo writes, emphasizing the hidden dangers that lurk beneath the placid exterior. The underwater world is full of threats—the "moving crayfish claw," the "stare of sunfish hovering," and the "sucker nudging cans." These images convey a sense of constant vigilance and unease, as the fish navigate a world where danger is always present, even if unseen.

The poem's tension reaches its peak with the mention of the "grinning maskinonge," a large and predatory fish. The maskinonge’s grin is unsettling, as it suggests a predatory nature hidden behind a façade of calmness. This creature embodies the poem's central theme: the contrast between the appearance of calm and the reality of underlying fear and danger.

Hugo then shifts to a broader reflection, asking, "How do carp resolve the eel and terror here?" This question captures the central paradox of the poem—how do these creatures continue to exist in an environment filled with threats and uncertainty? The carp, often seen as a symbol of resilience and adaptability, must navigate a world where even the fall of leaves into the water—an ordinary, cyclical event—becomes a source of anxiety, as they "face so many times this brown-ribbed fall of leaves."

The poem concludes with an image of the leaves "predicting weather foreign as a shark or prawn / and floating still above them in the paling sun." Here, the leaves symbolize both the passage of time and the inevitable approach of change. The "foreign" weather suggests the unfamiliar and the unknown, much like the shark or prawn that might be alien to this freshwater environment. The "paling sun" indicates the waning of light and warmth, further reinforcing the themes of transition and the encroachment of winter.

"Underwater Autumn" is a masterful exploration of the tension between surface appearances and underlying realities. Through his use of rich, detailed imagery and a careful buildup of tension, Hugo captures the unease and uncertainty that define both the underwater world and the human experience of change and transition. The poem suggests that just as the fish must navigate their ever-changing environment, so too must humans confront the fears and challenges that arise with the passage of time.

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