Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Howard Nemerov's poem "Metamorphoses; According to Steinberg" is a rich and intricate exploration of transformation, identity, and the power of artistic creation. Drawing inspiration from the work of Saul Steinberg, a renowned illustrator known for his surreal and witty drawings, Nemerov delves into the fluid and often perplexing nature of self-representation and the boundaries between reality and art.

The poem begins by describing people with "illegible diplomas" and "passports to a landscape full of languages," suggesting a world where conventional markers of identity and achievement are obscure or meaningless. These individuals "carry their images on banners" or become "porters of pedestals bearing their own / Statues," emphasizing the theme of self-representation and the burden of identity. The act of holding up "the unbalanced scrollwork of their signatures" further illustrates the complex relationship between one's identity and its depiction.

Nemerov then introduces whimsical transformations: "Thumbprints somehow get to be sanderlings, / And the cats keep on appearing." These images highlight the fluidity and unpredictability of identity and representation. Cats, with their regal demeanor, appear to "look at kings even as they claw / Their way up the latticed cage of a graph," blending the mundane with the extraordinary. The cats' interactions with various elements like fish, photographers, and music paper underscore the surreal and interconnected nature of the world depicted.

The poem shifts focus to a "great teaching" about the power of the line: "I am grateful for the lesson of the line, / That wandering divider of the world." Nemerov celebrates the line's ability to create and define, to "carry trains" on a "clothesline" or to shape the space between "the far horizon and a very near nose." The line becomes a metaphor for artistic creation, a tool that can defy gravity and death, bringing worlds into being and dismantling them with equal ease.

Nemerov continues to explore the concept of the line, describing its ability to produce "marvelous exceptions that prove rules." This notion is vividly illustrated with examples like "a hand is taken drawing its own hand," and "a man with a pen laboriously sketches / Himself into existence." These recursive images capture the self-referential nature of art and the paradox of creating oneself through one's creation.

The poem concludes with haunting images of characters trapped or transformed by their own representations: "The woman elided with her rocking chair, / The person trapped behind his signature, / The man who has just crossed himself out." These lines suggest the potential entrapment and erasure inherent in the act of self-representation. The final image of the man who "has just crossed himself out" poignantly underscores the theme of self-negation and the fragile nature of identity.

In "Metamorphoses; According to Steinberg," Nemerov masterfully weaves together themes of transformation, identity, and the power of the artistic line. Through vivid and surreal imagery inspired by Steinberg's work, the poem explores the complexities and paradoxes of self-representation, celebrating the creative process while acknowledging its potential to confound and constrain. The enchanted line becomes a symbol of both creation and destruction, capturing the dynamic and ever-changing nature of identity and art.

Copyright (c) 2024 PoetryExplorer

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...