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= "Ars Poetica" by Archibald MacLeish (1926) = Therese Tobon A poem should be palpable and mute As a globed fruit, Dumb As old medallions to the thumb, Silent as the sleeve-worn stone Of casement ledges where the moss has grown-- A poem should be wordless As the flight of birds. A poem should be motionless in time As the moon climbs. Leaving, as the moon releases Twig by twig the night-entangled trees, Leaving, as the moon behind the winter leaves, Memory by memory the mind-- A poem should be motionless in time As the moon climbs. A poem should be equal to: Not true. For all the history of grief An empty doorway and a maple leaf. For love The leaning grasses and two lights above the sea-- A poem should not mean But be.

"Ars Poetica" by Archibald MacLeish is a poem about the art of poetry, and the author's artistic opinion about the purpose of poetry, and what it means to the reader and the writer. MacLeish sees poetry as being alive, whatever the chronology or context. There is a sense of definition to the poem, and it is, indeed defining, but it also seems contradictory. The inference of the poem is that in some ways, poetry is undefinable. Undefinable, but essential.

MacLeish's poem is very descriptive of the expectations of poetry--it says a lot about what it should be, and I wonder whether the perspective is in relation to the poetical treatise by Horace, as cited after the text of the poem. It may be a retort to this, or a summary of it, even. Line 5 speaks of "the sleeve-worn stone", and I'm curious about what this means, especially in relation to the implied passage of time in the next line speaking of "where the moss has grown".

Way 2: Engaging with the Text
MacLeish uses assonance and alliteration heavily throughout the poem. Many of the lines end with words that encourage visualization of roundness, fullness, and weight, and the language is indulgent and luscious when spoken. When the scheme of m's, o's and b's is left, it is for v's, e's, and s's--a sliding transition from one slow and fluid pattern to another. The rhyme scheme is uneven but steady. The rhythm brings the reader slowly but certainly to each point of emphasis.

The heavy use of round and full sounds and words that want to be savored in "Ars Poetica" suggests that the purpose of poetry that the author seeks to convey has to do with slowly and fully appreciating it--taking the time to consider the auditory beauty of the language, perhaps reading it aloud, and generally considering it as an artform unto itself.

Way 3: Relationship of Form to Content
The sing-song rhyme scheme in this poem--almost like a lullaby--corresponds to the sensual and soothing nature of the test, implying a soft and comfortable nature. Even rhythm, underlining the message of what a poem "should be"--that it should always be thus, just as the rhythm of the poem will always be steady.

Way 3: Relationship of Form to Content
The poem is divided evenly into twelve two-line stanzas--reading it is fluid and unchallenging, another way MacLeash draws the reader into the poem. The even and short stanzas are another representation of the steady continuity of the message: this is what a poem should be--always. There is a hypnotic effect from the form of the poem, pulling the reader in and lulling into a meditative understanding.

Way 4: Unpacking an Instance of Figurative Language
MacLeish heavily employs simile to describe the qualities of a poem. The stanza "A poem should be motionless in time/ As the moon climbs." is repeated in the poem, emphasizing the immortal and constant qualities of poetry. In lines 7 and 8: "A poem should be wordless/ As the flight of birds." MacLeish illustrates, again by simile, the consideration of poetry beyond the language itself, to the intangible qualities embodied by "the flight of birds".

Way 4: Unpacking an Instance of Figurative Language
In the first stanza, MacLeish uses imagery (in simile form) to create a vivid visualization to which he means us to compare poetry: "A poem should be palpable and mute/ As a globed fruit." More literally, a poem should be able to be touched, should not be heard, and should be spherical. The imagery gives literal sensory qualities to poetry to illustrate the way poetry should be both written and approached for reading and interpretation.

Way 4: Unpacking an Instance of Figurative Language
Later in the poem, imagery is used again to demonstrate the importance of subtlety: "For all the history of grief/ An empty doorway and a maple leaf." (19-20) The image is meant to be compared--of course, the kind of emotion and turmoil experienced in "all the history of grief" is not fully captured in this image. It is meant to be a subtle representation. In lines 17 and 18, MacLeish writes "A poem should be equal to:/ Not true." Meaning that a poem should not attempt to reflect all the emotion implied in a scenario; it should only represent it, and leave the interpretation of all that is implied to the imagination.

**Way 5: Analyzing the Setting**
As a lyric poem, "Ars Poetica" does not have a setting. However, the lyric form, itself imparts insight in that it suggests a subjective monologue. Considered in this light, the poem takes on an air of instruction or guidance that the reader is encouraged to heed.

Way 6: Identifying and Analyzing Point of View
"Ars Poetica" is written from the third-person omniscient point of view. The narrator has no character, and no involvement in the poem, itself: rather, the reader is addressed by an anonymous narrator, expounding on poetic intention from an unidentified, though assumed authoritative, position. This point of view lends a feel of presumed credibility--the reader is expected to take these idealistic proclamations as valuable insights, and as accurate and pure definitions of the intentions and defining characteristics of poetry.

Way 7: Analyzing Complexity, Ambiguity and Difficulty
MacLeish makes use of ambiguity in the description of ideal poetic qualities. The poem mentions a litany of descriptive qualifiers which are meant to evoke an imaginative interpretation, rather than state an exact formula for poetic perfection. This method reflects the ambiguous nature of poetry, itself. As it is the mission of this poem to describe what poetry is and should be, it must include a nod to ambiguity. It accomplishes this by being, itself, ambiguous. Corollary to this is the subtle and vague language, which sometimes manifests itself as a difficulty in comprehending the poem. For example, lines 3 and 4: "Dumb/ As old medallions to the thumb." This verbiage is vaguely worded imagery, that we must imagine and visualize to comprehend.

Way 8: Considering Canonicity
"Ars Poetica" has held a place in the literary canon as a representation of imagist poetry. It is exemplary not only because it is rife with imagery, but because it is a treatise on poetry in general, imagist poetry in particular, which led to its adoption to the literary canon. MacLeish's poem also delivers criticism of poetic analysis, reflecting a modernist trend to defy conventional critique of literature, and stressing the importance of appreciating it strictly for its own sake: "A poem should not mean/ But be." (23-24)

**Way 9: Considering Biographical Context**
Archibald MacLeish began his career as a soldier, and became a lawyer after serving in World War I. MacLeish soon abandoned his practice of law for literature, and thus began a lengthy and prestigious career as a writer (Untermeyer 450). This shift in occupation on MacLeish's part suggests a recognition that perhaps what the status quo held for him was not what he really was. "Ars Poetica" exmines this same concept about poetry: that what is expected or required of a poem by its readers is not truly what it is, asserting that it "should not mean/ But be." (23-24) MacLeish's literary career is rife with examples of work that challenges trends and conceptions while maintaining adherence to MacLeish's own high standards: "MacLeish is shown to be one of the most resourceful technicians of an experimental age; he employs all the approved forms and invents several of his own..." (Untermeyer 451) This delicate balance is portrayed in "Ars Poetica" as it challenges the notions of what a poem is 'supposed' to be, while employing a traditional lyric form. macLeish is described as having "roots...firmly planted in both the new and the old worlds." (Contemporary Authors), illuminating the conflict and balance between interpretation and meaning, and artisitic expression so fervently expressed in this poem.

**Way 10: Historical and Cultural Contexts**
The 1920's, during which time macLeish wrote "Ars Poetica:, were a turbulent time for artistic expression. The literary world was turned on its head in many respects by "the self-exiled expatriates who lived and wrote in Paris between the wars.", MacLeish among them. "These writers, looking for freedom of thought and action, changed the face of modern writing." (Whitley) This search is typified in "Ars Poetica", seeking to express to readers the importance of experiencing poetry for what it is artistically--focusing on the experience rater than the proper interpretation to be extracted from it.

**Way 11: Theoretical Application: Structuralism**
Jacques Derrida's theories of structuralism are influenced by the concept that "People must rid themselves of reductionist thought and the belief that there is one single, unified, stable meaning to any given act, event, occurrence or text. Rather, in each case, there are a series of unstable variations; the act or event (or text) is open to a multitude of interpretations." (Brown and Yarbrough 221) Through the lense of structuralist theory, then, "Ars Poetica" can be seen as a poem that defies interpretation because a text's meaning is inherently fluid and open to many translations. Indeed, the poem itself seems to suggest this as it tells the reader that "A poem should be equal to:/ Not true." (17-18) Implying that it need not be subect to any specific parameters the reader may define it by.

**Way 12: Theoretical Application: Cultural Theory**
The principle of cultural theory, as defined by Mikhail Bakhtin, is essentially that "all of literature, and correspondingly, all of culture, is a series of //discourses//...[which] refers not only to modes of speech but also to the subtle or overt ideologies conveyed by a discourse." (Brown and Yarbrough 235) From a cultural theorist perspective, then, "Ars Poetica" can be taken as exemplary of its cultural context, and a page in the tome of our cultural history. The poem itself seems to support this concept by saying that "A poem should be motionless in time/ As the moon climbs." (9-10) A poem, in other words, captures the mood of its time, the suggestion of its context, and remains there always, as a poetic "discourse" on its cultural surroundings.

**Way 13: Unifying Interpretation**
Archibald MacLeish's poem "Ars Poetica" employs many tactics to convey its assertion that the literary pursuit means more than its interpretation. MacLeish makes extensive use of imagery to paint mental pictures that suggest solidarity of purpose, yet intangible natures. The lyric form of this poem creates a comforting, authoritarian environment of familiarity--as does the even meter and gentle rhyme--in which is placed a less comfortable idea that the practice of interpretation--of searching for meaning--is off the mark. The poem suggests we are missing the point by appreciating it only for what we can infer from it. Structuralist and cultural theorist idealogies support this by asserting that no one specific interpretation can be truly valid, and that we overestimate a specific interpretation's relevancy. "Ars Poetica" effectively challenges the reader's preconceived notions about poetic interpretation, while offering itself up for consideration as valid on its own terms.

**Works Cited:**
"1920-1929" __American Cultural History__. Ed. Peggy Whitley. Nov. 2008. Lonestar College. 1 Dec. 2008 http://kclibrary.lonestarcollege.edu/decade20.htm

"Archibald MacLeish" __Contemporary Authors__. 2004. Gale Literary Database. 1 Dec. 2008. http://galenet.galegroup.com

Brown, James S. and Scott D. Yarbrough.__A Practical Introduction to Literary Studies__. Upper Saddle River, NJ. Pearson Education, Inc. 2005

Untermeyer, Louis, Ed. __Modern American Poetry__. Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc. 1962