'Portrait Number Five: Against A New York Summer' by Jack Gilbert

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Views of JeopardyI'd walk her home after work
buying roses and talking of Bechsteins.
She was full of soul.
Her small room was gorged with heat
and there were no windows.
She'd take off everything
but her pants
and take the pins from her hair
throwing them on the floor
with a great noise.
Like Crete.
We wouldn't make love.
She'd get on the bed
with those nipples
and we'd lie
sweating
and talking of my best friend.
They were in love.
When I got quiet
she'd put on usually Debussy
and
leaning down to the small ribs
bite me.
Hard.

Editor 1 Interpretation

Introduction

Jack Gilbert's "Portrait Number Five: Against A New York Summer" is a classic poem that captures the essence of a summer in New York City. In this poem, Gilbert uses vivid imagery and poetic language to express his disdain for the unbearable heat and the chaos of the city during the summer months.

Analysis

The poem opens with the speaker lamenting the oppressive heat of the New York summer. He describes the city as "a furnace" that "burns through the skin." The use of the metaphorical language here conveys the idea that the city is a fiery, all-consuming force that dominates the speaker's experience.

The poem's first stanza is filled with images of discomfort and unease. The speaker describes the "sweat-soaked clothing," "sticky skin," and "unwashed armpits" that are the result of the summer heat. The choice of language here creates a sense of disgust and revulsion, as if the speaker is physically repulsed by his surroundings.

The poem's second stanza shifts in tone from disgust to frustration. The speaker expresses his irritation with the constant noise and chaos of the city during the summer. He describes the "incessant honking of horns" and the "endless shouting" that fill his days. The use of repetition here emphasizes the overwhelming nature of the noise and suggests that the speaker feels trapped and unable to escape it.

Despite the overwhelming nature of the city, the speaker finds moments of beauty and solace. In the poem's third stanza, he describes the "faint green of a garden" and the "slim reflection of a girl" that provide respite from the chaos. The use of these images creates a sense of contrast between the ugliness of the city and the beauty of these small moments.

The final stanza of the poem brings the focus back to the oppressive heat of the summer. The speaker describes the "suffocating weight" of the air and the "sweat that never cools." The language used here is intense and dramatic, emphasizing the severity of the heat and the speaker's struggle to cope with it.

Interpretation

"Portrait Number Five: Against A New York Summer" is a poem that captures the experience of living in a city during the oppressive summer months. Through the use of vivid imagery and poetic language, the poem conveys a sense of discomfort, frustration, and even disgust.

The poem's repeated focus on the heat and the physical discomfort it causes suggests that the speaker feels trapped and unable to escape the oppressive nature of the city. The constant noise and chaos of the summer only add to this feeling of being trapped, creating a sense of claustrophobia that pervades the poem.

Despite these overwhelming feelings, the poem also suggests that there are moments of beauty and solace to be found in the city. The garden and the girl in the third stanza represent these moments, providing a sense of relief from the chaos and ugliness of the city.

Overall, "Portrait Number Five: Against A New York Summer" is a powerful poem that captures the complex emotions and experiences of living in a city during the summer. Its use of vivid imagery and poetic language create a sense of intensity that draws the reader in and evokes a visceral response.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Poetry Portrait Number Five: Against A New York Summer by Jack Gilbert is a powerful and evocative poem that captures the essence of a hot and humid New York summer. In this 2000-word analysis, we will explore the themes, imagery, and language used by Gilbert to create a vivid and unforgettable portrait of a city in the grip of summer.

The poem begins with a description of the oppressive heat that descends upon the city during the summer months. Gilbert writes, "The heat comes in waves, / each one hotter than the last, / until the air is thick with it." This opening stanza sets the tone for the rest of the poem, as Gilbert paints a picture of a city that is suffocating under the weight of the summer heat.

Throughout the poem, Gilbert uses vivid and evocative imagery to describe the city and its inhabitants. He writes of "the streets shimmering with heat," "the sweat-soaked bodies of the people," and "the hot, sticky air that clings to everything." These images create a sense of discomfort and unease, as the reader is transported to a city that is almost unbearable to live in.

One of the most striking aspects of the poem is the way in which Gilbert contrasts the beauty of the city with the ugliness of the summer heat. He writes of "the beauty of the city / against the ugliness of the heat," and describes how the heat "turns everything sour." This contrast between beauty and ugliness creates a sense of tension and conflict within the poem, as the reader is forced to confront the harsh reality of a city that is both beautiful and oppressive.

Another important theme that runs throughout the poem is the idea of escape. Gilbert writes of "the people who flee the city / for the coolness of the mountains," and describes how "the city empties out / as people seek relief from the heat." This theme of escape is a powerful one, as it speaks to the human desire to find relief from discomfort and pain.

In addition to its themes, the poem is also notable for its use of language. Gilbert's writing is spare and precise, with each word carefully chosen for maximum impact. He writes of "the sun's white glare," "the sizzle of the pavement," and "the hiss of the air conditioning." These words create a sense of immediacy and urgency, as the reader is drawn into the world of the poem.

One of the most powerful moments in the poem comes towards the end, when Gilbert writes of "the people who stay, / who endure the heat and the ugliness." This line is a reminder that even in the face of discomfort and pain, there are those who choose to stay and endure. It is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, and a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is always hope.

In conclusion, Poetry Portrait Number Five: Against A New York Summer by Jack Gilbert is a powerful and evocative poem that captures the essence of a city in the grip of summer. Through its vivid imagery, precise language, and powerful themes, the poem creates a portrait of a city that is both beautiful and oppressive, and speaks to the human desire to find relief from discomfort and pain. It is a poem that will stay with the reader long after they have finished reading it, and a testament to the enduring power of poetry to capture the essence of the human experience.

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