Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Muriel Rukeyser's poem "Backside of the Academy" is a vivid and multifaceted exploration of urban life, art, and the intersections of the personal and the communal. Through detailed imagery and a juxtaposition of formal inscriptions with the informal marks of everyday life, the poem captures the dynamic, often chaotic nature of the city and the enduring presence of artistic and social expression.

The poem opens with a description of the academy's imposing architecture: "Five brick panels, three small windows, six lions’ heads / with rings in their mouths, five pairs of closed bronze doors—." This initial image sets a tone of solidity and permanence, further emphasized by the carved inscription above the door: "ART REMAINS THE ONE WAY POSSIBLE OF / SPEAKING TRUTH." This statement underscores the poem's central theme of art as a vital mode of communication and truth-telling.

On a May morning, the scene shifts to the lively activity of the street: "light swimming in this street, / the children running, / on the church beside the Academy the lines are flying / of little yellow-and-white plastic flags flapping in the light." The vibrant energy of the children and the colorful flags contrast with the static, imposing academy, highlighting the interplay between institutional permanence and the transient, everyday moments of life.

Rukeyser then directs our attention back to the academy's wall, where another inscription reads: "WE ARE YOUNG AND WE ARE FRIENDS OF TIME." Below this, the names "Hector, Joey, Lynn, Rudolfo" are chalked in white, accompanied by a light blue asterisk. These names represent the personal, ephemeral marks of individuals who inhabit or pass through this space, contrasting with the grand, enduring statements carved into stone.

The poem continues to paint a picture of the street's diverse and often contradictory elements: a woman shaking a small boy, shouting at him for ringing a bell; the mix of "rape and singing, poems, small robberies." This amalgamation of events and actions reflects the complexity and unpredictability of urban life. Another inscription on the academy's wall reads: "CONSCIOUS UTTERANCE OF THOUGHT BY / SPEECH OR ACTION / TO ANY END IS ART." This definition of art is inclusive and democratic, suggesting that all forms of expression, no matter how humble or informal, have artistic value.

Further down the wall, more graffiti appears: "Jack is a object, / Walter and Trina, Goo Goo, I love Trina," and the politically charged "Viva Fidel now altered to Muera Fidel." These markings reveal personal declarations, loves, and political sentiments, blending the personal and the political in the fabric of the city.

The imagery of the poem becomes even more concrete with the mention of a deep blue marble lodged against the curb, a phone booth, and a trash basket. These everyday objects ground the poem in the tangible realities of urban existence. The locked park and the eternal football game that transforms into stickball highlight the blend of continuity and change in the city's rhythms.

The poem then describes the annual opening of the academy's bronze doors, welcoming artists and their guests while organ music spills into the street: "five pairs of closed bronze doors will open / and the Academy of writers, sculptors, painters, composers, / their guests and publishers will all roll in." This event brings the world of high art into direct contact with the everyday life of the street, creating a moment of convergence between the formal and the informal, the permanent and the fleeting.

Rukeyser concludes by returning to the initial imagery of the academy's facade and the surrounding street: "five brick panels, three small windows, six lions’ heads with / rings in their mouths, five pairs of closed bronze doors, / light flooding the street I live and write in." The poet situates herself within this landscape, reflecting on the convergence of the personal and the communal, the artistic and the everyday. The final image of the word "FREE" against the backdrop of a ferris wheel and roller coaster captures the tension between liberation and the constraints of societal structures.

The poem ends with a reflection on vision and sustenance: "WITHOUT VISION THE PEO" and "IVE BY BREAD ALONE," emphasizing the necessity of both artistic vision and physical sustenance for a meaningful existence. The interplay of light and shadow, permanence and transience, inscribed words and chalked graffiti all contribute to a rich tapestry that celebrates the vibrancy of urban life and the enduring power of art and personal expression.

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