Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Philip Lamantia's poem “Diabolic Condition” is a dark and surreal exploration of mystical and occult themes. Through its vivid and often unsettling imagery, the poem delves into the interplay between the sacred and the profane, the corporeal and the ethereal, creating a richly layered narrative that invites readers to confront the diabolical aspects of existence and the potential for transcendence through ritual and magic.

The poem opens with a striking image: “As the women who live within each other’s bodies / descend from their polar regions / to the circle of demons.” This suggests a deep, interconnected female energy that moves from a place of purity or isolation (the polar regions) to engage with darker forces. The idea of women living within each other’s bodies evokes a sense of unity and shared experience, while their descent into the demonic circle marks the beginning of an intense, transformative journey.

Lamantia continues with a personal declaration: “I become ready to offer myself to the smooth red snakes entwined in the heads of sorcerers.” The red snakes symbolize temptation, knowledge, and danger, and their presence in the heads of sorcerers indicates a connection to ancient wisdom and forbidden power. The speaker’s willingness to offer himself to these snakes suggests a readiness to embrace and confront these dark forces.

The poem’s setting shifts to a haunting landscape: “Between the black arms coming over the swamp / rushing to embrace me / and the distant sun in which abide the men who hold within their fists the Evil Eyes.” The swamp and the black arms create a sense of foreboding, while the distant sun and the men with Evil Eyes represent a powerful, malevolent presence. This juxtaposition of light and darkness underscores the tension between opposing forces that permeates the poem.

Lamantia introduces a series of enigmatic and esoteric images: “between the tombs and beds of boneless magicians / who have worked in the secrecy of abandoned towers / despite my body flying away.” These lines evoke a sense of the supernatural, with magicians practicing their arts in hidden places. The mention of the speaker’s body flying away suggests a detachment from physical reality, further emphasizing the mystical nature of the experience.

The poem continues to layer surreal and evocative imagery: “despite the lizards who crawl into the altars where the potents are being prepared / despite the intrusion of doctor’s maids and egyptologists / despite the old Doric temple carried in by the art lovers / despite the nest of mad beggars.” These elements create a chaotic and otherworldly scene, where sacred rituals, historical artifacts, and societal outcasts intersect. The repetition of “despite” underscores the persistence of these forces and the inevitability of the ritual.

The central theme of incantation and magic is introduced: “the chant is heard / and the words of the chant are written in oceanic gardens.” The chant symbolizes an ancient, powerful spell that is connected to the natural world. The idea of it being written in oceanic gardens evokes a sense of timelessness and universal significance.

As the poem progresses, the sense of an impending cataclysm becomes more pronounced: “We are ascending to the limitless cosmos of architecture / we are crawling backward to enormous hearts / that leap over the snow to climb into our bodies.” This ascent to a cosmic architecture suggests a reaching towards the divine or the sublime, while the backward crawl to enormous hearts indicates a return to a primal source of life and energy.

The ritualistic elements of the poem culminate in a powerful invocation: “Come my ritual wax and circles / my rose spitting blood.” The wax and circles refer to traditional tools of magic, while the rose spitting blood combines beauty and violence, symbolizing the dual nature of the ritual.

The poem’s climax describes a nightmarish vision: “When the day is lit up by our magic candles / and the hours yell their sadistic songs and suck hard / into the night when the cats invade our skulls / then we will know the destructive ones have gone / out into the world to watch the cataclysm begin / as the final wave of fire pours out from their hearts.” These lines depict a world where magic and madness reign, and the destructive forces are unleashed, heralding the beginning of a cataclysm.

“Diabolic Condition” is a powerful and unsettling meditation on the intersection of the sacred and the profane, the human and the supernatural. Through his use of dense, evocative imagery and a narrative that blends the mystical with the macabre, Philip Lamantia explores the depths of the human psyche and the potential for transformation through ritual and magic. The poem’s richly layered language invites readers to engage with its complex themes and confront the darker aspects of existence, ultimately suggesting that through embracing these forces, one may find a path to transcendence and understanding.

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