Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Howard Nemerov’s poem "TV" explores the nature of perception and reality through the lens of television, invoking philosophical concepts and the immediacy of mediated experience. The poem references Bishop Berkeley, an 18th-century philosopher known for his theory of immaterialism, which posits that objects only exist as perceptions in the mind. Nemerov uses this philosophical backdrop to comment on how television shapes our understanding of reality.

The poem opens with a nod to Bishop Berkeley, suggesting that television would have "delighted" him by appearing to validate his theory. Berkeley famously argued that physical objects do not exist independently of perception; instead, their existence is contingent on being perceived. Nemerov extends this idea to television, which creates a reality dependent on both the viewer and the broadcaster: "whatever is made / The object of your vision is so made / Because another is looking at it too."

Nemerov emphasizes the mediated nature of televised reality by highlighting the "fraction of a second" delay between the event and its broadcast. This delay underscores the constructed nature of television, where what we see is not the event itself but a representation that has already been filtered through another's perception. This idea is encapsulated in the image of "The straying lens across the battlefield," where the cameraman's perspective shapes what we understand as reality.

The reference to the "cameraman's quivering hand considering death" brings a stark, human element to the mediated experience. It underscores the vulnerability and subjectivity inherent in the act of capturing reality on film. The "instant replay," a staple of television, further illustrates the repetition and manipulation of reality, reducing unique, significant moments to "shopworn" and "soiled" secondhand experiences.

Nemerov’s description of these televised images as "secondhand goods" highlights the degradation of authenticity through mediation. The metaphor of being "Shaken in God's wavering attention just / An instant before we see it as out there" suggests a divine, yet uncertain, intervention in the creation of televised reality. It implies that what we perceive on television is not pure or direct truth but a version of reality that has already been subject to interpretation and manipulation.

The poem critiques the inherent limitations and distortions of television as a medium. While it has the power to bring distant events into our living rooms, it simultaneously distances us from the raw, unmediated reality of those events. The "straying lens" and "quivering hand" serve as reminders of the subjective nature of television, where the cameraman's choices and the technological processes involved in broadcasting shape our perception of the world.

In "TV," Howard Nemerov uses philosophical reflection and vivid imagery to explore how television mediates our experience of reality. By invoking Bishop Berkeley's ideas, Nemerov underscores the dependency of perceived reality on both the viewer and the broadcaster, highlighting the constructed and secondhand nature of televised images. The poem calls into question the authenticity of what we see on TV, reminding us of the complex interplay between perception, mediation, and reality.

Copyright (c) 2024 PoetryExplorer

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...