The Figured Wheel by Robert Pinsky
"The Figured Wheel" by Robert Pinsky is a reflective poem that encapsulates the human condition through the metaphor of a rolling wheel. The poem vividly contrasts various images, such as snow and sand, fresh and salt water, creating a dynamic interplay of separation and combination that mirrors life's complexities. It introduces a pantheon of mythical figures alongside natural elements, establishing a rich tapestry of experiences that evoke both beauty and an underlying sense of terror. Pinsky explores themes of guilt and complicity within a cyclical existence, suggesting that both he and the reader are integral parts of this ongoing narrative. The imagery progresses to convey notions of 'figured,' 'prefigured,' and 'transfiguring,' representing the past, present, and future states of humanity. Ultimately, the poem invites readers to contemplate their own place within this continuous cycle, fostering a deeper understanding of connection and transformation in the human experience.
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The Figured Wheel by Robert Pinsky
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition
First published: 1984 (collected in History of My Heart, 1984)
Type of work: Poem
The Work
“The Figured Wheel” is a poem that reports the condition of humanity. The first line describes the wheel as rolling, which immediately gives the reader a specific image that acts as a device to carry the reader through each scene.
The images and actions of the poem are set in contrast within each line throughout the poem. In a single line, snow and sand are separated and then recombined, and the wheel rolls through fresh water and salt water as well as flecks of tar and molten rock. There is a constant separating and combining through each image as the reader passes through the pantheons of gods, demigods, gargoyles, and dryads. An inescapable terror also exists in this “cold, cyclical dark, turning and returning,” an undeniable guilt that is in both the scorched and the frozen parts of this world.
These images and scenes through which the figured wheel rolls are collected by the wheel and eventually include the life of Pinsky and his family. Because the poet is also a part of this figuration, the reader may get a sense of himself or herself as a part of this wheel’s accretion, and thus one is led to a vision of complicity. In the final line, three versions of this figuration are presented: figured, which may represent a present state; prefigured as in a past figuration; and transfiguring, something that will continue to change. This suggests that in all three states—past, present, and future—Pinsky, his family, and the reader exist on this wheel.
Sources for Further Study
Booklist. XCII, April 1, 1996, p. 1339.
Chicago Review. XLII, Spring, 1996, p. p. 122.
Library Journal. CXXI, April 1, 1996, p. 88.
The Nation. CCLXII, April 29, 1996, p. 25.
The New York Times Book Review. CI, August 18, 1996, p. 9.
Publishers Weekly. CCXLIII, March 18, 1996, p. 65.
The Yale Review. LXXXIV, July, 1996, p. 173.