Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Donald Justice's poem "Tourist from Syracuse" is a vivid portrayal of a figure who exists in the shadows of society, embodying anonymity and blending seamlessly into the urban landscape. The speaker's identity is ambiguous, oscillating between various roles such as a car salesman, a tourist, or a hired assassin. This deliberate vagueness highlights the themes of anonymity, identity, and the human condition within modernity.

The poem opens with a reference to John D. MacDonald, suggesting that the speaker could be any ordinary man, someone who could easily go unnoticed in a crowd. This sets the tone for the rest of the poem, where the speaker's true identity remains elusive. The assertion, "You would not recognize me," immediately establishes the speaker's inconspicuous nature. He exists in the "dank mirrors of washrooms," a metaphor for places that are typically overlooked and unremarkable, emphasizing his pervasive yet unnoticed presence.

The imagery of "cold eyes of statues / Watching their pigeons return" conjures a sense of detachment and permanence. Statues, immovable and enduring, symbolize the speaker's stoic and impassive demeanor. The comparison to pigeons, creatures of habit that return to familiar places, underscores the speaker's role as an observer rather than a participant in life. He waits with "marble patience," blending into the background like the shade of an awning.

Justice's use of the awning's shade is particularly evocative, as it not only conveys the speaker's ability to blend into his surroundings but also hints at a darker, more sinister aspect of his character. The speaker's movement is described as being "at the same pace precisely / As the shade of the awning," suggesting an almost ghostly presence, a figure who exists in the periphery of society.

The speaker's voice is another element that reinforces his anonymity. He speaks "seldom, and always / In a murmur as quiet / As that of crowds which surround / The victims of accidents." This comparison to the murmuring crowd at an accident scene evokes a sense of passive observation, of being present yet detached. It also implies a certain morbid curiosity or detachment from the suffering of others, which could be seen as a characteristic of a hired assassin or someone who witnesses life's tragedies without being affected by them.

When the speaker contemplates confessing his identity, he ultimately rejects the idea, stating, "My name is all names, or none." This statement encapsulates the theme of universality and anonymity. He is everyman and no man, a representation of the faceless individuals who populate our world. The specific roles he mentions – used-car salesman, tourist from Syracuse, hired assassin – are all personas that blend into the fabric of everyday life, each carrying its own connotations of trust, transience, and threat.

The poem concludes with the speaker's resigned acceptance of his place in the world. He stands "like one who has missed his bus," a metaphor for missed opportunities or a sense of being perpetually out of sync with life. The final lines, "The corner at which you turn / To approach that place where now / You must not hope to arrive," suggest a sense of finality and hopelessness. The corner is a point of transition, but for the speaker, it is also a place of perpetual waiting, a liminal space where he remains trapped in anonymity.

"Tourist from Syracuse" is a compelling exploration of identity and anonymity. Through rich imagery and a haunting narrative voice, Donald Justice captures the essence of a character who exists on the margins of society, embodying the quiet, pervasive presence of those who go unnoticed in our daily lives. The poem resonates with themes of isolation, the passage of time, and the search for meaning in an indifferent world.

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