Poetry Analysis

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Constantly risking absurdity

Original Poetry

Translation

Constantly risking absurdity

Always taking the risk of looking foolish

and death

and dying

whenever he performs

above the heads

of his audience

the poet like an acrobat

the poet, like an acrobat

climbs on rime

climbs on rhymes

to a high wire of his own making

up to a high wire he creates himself

and balancing on eyebeams

and balances on the light from eyes

above a sea of faces

paces his way

walks his way

to the other side of day

across to the other side of the day

performing entrechats

performing jumps

and sleight-of-foot tricks

and clever foot tricks

and other high theatrics

and other dramatic acts

and all without mistaking

all without confusing

any thing

anything

for what it may not be

for what it might not be

For he's the super realist

Because he's the super realist

who must perforce perceive

who must necessarily see

taut truth

clear truth

before the taking of each stance or step

before taking each stance or step

in his supposed advance

in his supposed progress

toward that still higher perch

toward that even higher place

where Beauty stands and waits

with gravity

with seriousness

to start her death-defying leap

to begin her daring leap

And he

a little charleychaplin man

like a little Charlie Chaplin

who may or may not catch

who might or might not catch

her fair eternal form

her beautiful eternal form

spreadeagled in the empty air

spread out in the empty air

of existence

Explanation

Lawrence Ferlinghetti's poem 'Constantly Risking Absurdity' uses the metaphor of an acrobat to describe the poet's role. The poet, like an acrobat, performs daring feats, balancing on the 'high wire' of creativity. This high wire is made of 'rime' or rhyme, suggesting the delicate and risky nature of poetic creation. The poet must navigate the expectations of the audience ('a sea of faces') while maintaining authenticity and truth. The poem emphasizes the poet's pursuit of 'Beauty' and 'truth,' which are depicted as elusive and challenging to capture. The reference to 'Charlie Chaplin' adds a layer of humor and vulnerability, highlighting the poet's struggle to grasp the 'eternal form' of beauty in the 'empty air of existence.' Ferlinghetti's work reflects the Beat Generation's focus on authenticity, artistic integrity, and the inherent risks of the creative process.

Word Dictionary14

Word	In English	Plain (English)	Pron.
absurdity	ridiculousness	the quality of being ridiculous or wildly unreasonable	ab-sur-di-tee
acrobat	performer	a person who performs gymnastic tricks	ak-ro-bat
rime	rhyme	a type of verse or poetry	raim
eyebeams	glances	the light or look from someone's eyes	eye-beams
entrechats	jumps	a ballet jump where the dancer crosses their legs in mid-air	on-truh-shah
sleight-of-foot	foot tricks	skillful foot movements	slite-of-foot
theatrics	drama	dramatic behavior	thee-at-riks
super realist	extreme realist	a person who sees reality very clearly	soo-per ree-uh-list
perforce	necessarily	by necessity; inevitably	per-fors
taut	tight	stretched or pulled tight; not slack	tawt
stance	position	the way in which someone stands	stans
perch	high place	a high or elevated position	purch
gravity	seriousness	importance or seriousness	grav-i-tee
spreadeagled	stretched out	with arms and legs stretched out	spred-ee-gld

Poet & Context

PoetLawrence Ferlinghetti

Era20th Century

Lawrence Monsanto Ferlinghetti was an American poet, painter, social activist, and co-founder of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers. He was best known for his poetry collection 'A Coney Island of the Mind'. Ferlinghetti was a prominent figure in the Beat movement and his work often explored themes of social justice and the human condition.

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When1958

WhyThe poem reflects the challenges and risks inherent in the creative process, likening the poet's work to that of an acrobat performing daring feats. It explores the pursuit of truth and beauty, common themes in Ferlinghetti's work, and reflects the Beat Generation's emphasis on authenticity and artistic integrity.

FormFree verse

Themes & More

Themes

Artistic RiskPursuit of BeautyReality vs. Illusion

Literary devices

Metaphor: The poet is compared to an acrobat, highlighting the risks of creativity.Imagery: Vivid images of acrobatics and performance create a visual spectacle.Allusion: Reference to Charlie Chaplin adds humor and vulnerability.Personification: Beauty is personified as waiting to take a leap.