Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"An Explanation of America" is a poem by Robert Pinsky, first published in 1988. It is a meditation on the complexity and contradictions of America, and the various forces that have shaped the country's identity.

Explanation:

The poem opens with a description of a painting of a Native American and a Puritan, representing two very different perspectives on America's founding. Pinsky then goes on to explore the various influences that have shaped the country's history, including the idea of Manifest Destiny, the legacy of slavery and racism, and the role of technology in shaping American culture.

Throughout the poem, Pinsky seems to be questioning whether America can ever truly be understood or explained. He suggests that the country's identity is constantly shifting and evolving, and that there are many different narratives and interpretations of its history.

Poetic Elements:

• Form: The poem is written in free verse, with no strict rhyme or meter. The lines vary in length, ranging from short, choppy phrases to longer, more complex sentences.
• Imagery: Pinsky uses vivid, often surreal imagery throughout the poem to evoke a sense of the complex and contradictory nature of America. For example, he describes "a statue of an Indian on a neon horse," and "a map of the sky drawn to show/ A river, two towers, a crookedly lettered name."
• Tone: The tone of the poem is contemplative and reflective, with moments of irony and skepticism. Pinsky seems to be grappling with the idea of America as a concept, and questioning whether it can ever be truly understood.

Conclusion:

"An Explanation of America" is a complex and thought-provoking poem that explores the many forces that have shaped America's identity over time. Through its use of vivid imagery and free verse, the poem captures the contradictions and complexities of the country's history, and raises important questions about the nature of American identity.

Poem Snippet:

Here is a coast; here is a harbor;

Here, after a meager diet of horizon, is some scenery:

Impractically shaped and–who knows?–self-pitying mountains,

Sad and harsh beneath their frivolous greenery,

With a little church on top of one.