Constantly risking absurdity by Lawrence Ferlinghetti — Analysis & Translation

Original Poem

Constantly risking absurdity and death whenever he performs above the heads of his audience the poet like an acrobat climbs on rime to a high wire of his own making and balancing on eyebeams above a sea of faces paces his way to the other side of day performing entrechats and sleight-of-foot tricks and other high theatrics and all without mistaking any thing for what it may not be For he's the super realist who must perforce perceive taut truth before the taking of each stance or step in his supposed advance toward that still higher perch where Beauty stands and waits with gravity to start her death-defying leap And he a little charleychaplin man who may or may not catch her fair eternal form spreadeagled in the empty air of existence

Translation (English)

Always risking looking silly and dying whenever he performs above the heads of his audience the poet like a tightrope walker climbs on rhyme to a high wire he makes himself and balancing on the audience's eyes above a sea of faces walks his way across to the other side of the day performing jumps and quick foot tricks and other dramatic acts and all without confusing anything for what it isn't Because he is the ultimate realist who must necessarily see clear truth before taking each position or step in his supposed progress toward that even higher spot where Beauty stands and waits with seriousness to begin her dangerous jump And he like a little Charlie Chaplin who may or may not catch her beautiful eternal form spread out in the empty air of existence

About the Poet

Lawrence Ferlinghetti (20th Century)

Lawrence Monsanto Ferlinghetti (1919–2021) was an American poet, painter, and social activist. He co-founded City Lights Booksellers & Publishers and is best known for his poetry collection 'A Coney Island of the Mind'. His work often explored themes of social justice and the human condition.

Historical Context

Literary Form: Free verse
When Written: 1958
Background: The poem reflects the precarious and daring nature of the poet's role, likening it to an acrobat's performance. It explores the pursuit of truth and beauty, emphasizing the risks involved in creative expression.

Sources: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/52319/constantly-risking-absurdity-15, https://poemanalysis.com/lawrence-ferlinghetti/constantly-risking-absurdity/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Ferlinghetti

Detailed Explanation

In 'Constantly Risking Absurdity,' Lawrence Ferlinghetti compares the poet to an acrobat, highlighting the delicate balance and risk involved in the creative process. The poet, like an acrobat, performs above the audience, balancing on the attention and perception of those watching. The poem suggests that the poet must navigate the fine line between truth and illusion, constantly risking failure and misunderstanding. The imagery of the acrobat performing high above the ground symbolizes the poet's pursuit of beauty and truth, which are depicted as elusive and dangerous. The reference to 'Charlie Chaplin' adds a layer of humor and vulnerability, suggesting that despite the poet's efforts, success is uncertain. The poem captures the essence of artistic endeavor as a daring and precarious act, where the poet must maintain authenticity and clarity while reaching for higher ideals.

Themes

Literary Devices

Word Dictionary

Word	Meaning	Translation	Transliteration
absurdity	ridiculousness	silliness	ab-sur-di-ty
acrobat	performer	gymnast	ak-ro-bat
rime	rhyme	a word that has the same ending sound as another	rahy-m
eyebeams	gazes	the focus or attention of eyes	eye-beems
entrechats	dance jumps	a ballet jump where the dancer crosses their legs	an-tre-sha
sleight-of-foot	foot tricks	skillful foot movements	slite-of-foot
super realist	extreme realist	someone who sees things as they truly are	soo-per ree-a-list
perforce	necessarily	must	per-force
taut	tight	tight	tawt
stance	position	the way in which someone stands	stance
perch	high spot	a high or elevated position	perch
gravity	seriousness	importance	grav-i-ty
charleychaplin	comedian	referring to Charlie Chaplin, a famous comedic actor	char-lee-chap-lin
spreadeagled	spread out	stretched out with arms and legs spread wide	spread-ea-gled
existence	being	the state of being alive or real	ex-is-tence