Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Howard Nemerov's poem "Desk of the Laureate: For Immediate Release" offers a satirical and poignant reflection on the perceived decline of poetic inspiration and relevance in contemporary society. The poem is presented as a formal resignation letter from the "Master of Songs," who laments the loss of divine and mythic sources of inspiration and the dwindling significance of poetry in public life.

The poem opens with a list of departed inspirations: "Because Great Pan is dead, Astraea gone, / Because the singing has ceased upon Sion, / The Well at Helicon choked up with mud." These lines evoke a sense of nostalgia for a time when poetry was imbued with divine and mythological significance. Pan, the god of nature and rustic music; Astraea, the goddess of justice; and the Well at Helicon, the mythic source of poetic inspiration, symbolize a lost golden age of poetic creativity.

The "Master of Songs" then announces his resignation, citing his inability to fulfill his duties: "The Master of Songs tenders his resignation. / He cannot even do the Birthday Ode / For the Queen Mother, much less manage the / Elaborated forms of Elegy / And Epithalamion, when these fall due." The use of formal and traditional poetic forms like the Birthday Ode, Elegy, and Epithalamion underscores the weight and expectation placed on the laureate. His resignation suggests a broader cultural and artistic decline, where the value and demand for such art have diminished.

The poet conveys a sense of futility and resignation: "The Court will simply have to get along / As best it can on Chronicles in prose." This line implies a shift from the lyrical and expressive nature of poetry to the more mundane and factual nature of prose, highlighting the diminishing role of poetry in public and courtly affairs.

Despite the challenging conditions—"Although the pay was low, the hours long"—the Master of Songs acknowledges his dedication: "He wrote his wretched little works with love." This admission reflects the personal passion and commitment that often accompanies the creation of poetry, even when external recognition and reward are lacking.

The poem concludes with the laureate's retreat to a place of solitude and modest comfort: "He has retired to the ancient horrible hotel / Where he can still afford to be a swell, / His nightly pony, a scotch whisky neat, / Brought by the servingman on squeaking feet." This image of the poet in retirement, indulging in simple pleasures, captures a sense of bittersweet resignation. The "ancient horrible hotel" symbolizes the decaying grandeur of the poet's former status, while the "scotch whisky neat" suggests a measure of solace in the face of irrelevance.

"Desk of the Laureate: For Immediate Release" by Howard Nemerov is a witty and reflective commentary on the changing role of poetry and the poet in modern society. Through the metaphor of a formal resignation, Nemerov captures the lament of a poet who feels disconnected from the sources of inspiration and undervalued in a world that increasingly favors prose over poetry. The poem invites readers to reflect on the enduring value of poetic expression and the challenges faced by those who seek to keep it alive in a changing cultural landscape.

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