Archibald MacLeish

Archibald MacLeish (1892-1982) achieved enormous fame in his lifetime, both for his literary output and his public service; he was Librarian of Congress for ten years and FDR’s Assistant Secretary of State for two. It is perhaps unfortunate that his most anthologized poem, Ars Poetica, while beautifully phrased, is, at heart, didactic and rather dishonest; MacLeish himself wrote with an astonishing variety of styles, themes and tones and certainly did not mold himself to the advice for poets he lays down there.

The poem featured this month, from MacLeish’s late volume “The Wild Old Wicked Man” & Other Poems,  is perhaps less drecky than profoundly odd. It would appear, however subtly, to proseltyze Western Judeo-Christian religion to the East; for that alone, it earns dreck points. For me, the poem becomes increasingly hilarious as it develops its plodding theme and repeats its exotic proper names. In all fairness, it must be noted that these are real people. Ibn Wahab was Sulieman’s navigator; during his travels in China he really did meet with the emperor to discuss religious matters. And Ibn Wahab, being Islamic, certainly would have treasured the stories of Jesus and the O.T. prophets, but Mohammed and Allah are conspicuous by their absence here.

From Seeing

In the East

Why are you moving your lips, said the Emperor I Tsung.

I am blessing the prophets, said Ibn Wahab the traveler.

Where are the prophets, said the Emperor I Tsung.
             I do not see them.

You see them, said Ibn Wahab the traveler:
             you do not recognize them but you see them.

I see a man in a boat on a great ocean, said the Emperor I Tsung.

That, said Ibn Wahab the traveler, is Noah
             who swam on the world when the Flood drowned it.

I see a man in the fields, said the Emperor I Tsung:
             he is wandering.

That is Abraham, said Ibn Wahab the traveler:
             he is wandering everywhere looking for God.

I see a man on a tree, said the Emperor I Tsung.

That, said Ibn Wahab the traveler, is Jesus.

What did he do, said the Emperor I Tsung:
             did he swim on the world? Did he wander everywhere?

He died, said Ibn Wahab the traveler.

Why do I weep, said the Emperor I Tsung.

You have recognized Jesus, said Ibn Wahab the traveler.
——Back to Dreck Contents——