18 pages • 36-minute read
Tear it Down
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Background
Authorial Context
Gilbert wrote “Tear It Down” during a time spent in solitude following the death of his wife Michiko Nogami. In post publication interviews, he was often vague in answering concrete questions about his work but did offer a theoretical and emotional approach to writing poetry. In an interview with Chard DeNiord in 2009, DeNiord asked Gilbert what instigated his passion for poetry and writing. Gilbert responded: “My mind was just so fixed on understanding. I had a huge appetite to understand” (Gilbert, Jack, and Chard DeNiord. “An Interview with Jack Gilbert, by Chard DeNiord.” The American Poetry Review, vol. 38, no. 1, 2009, pp. 26–29. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/20684109. Accessed 23 June 2021.).
Gilbert’s self-proclaimed hunger to understand and find greater meaning in the world around him largely served as the inspiration behind poems like “Tear It Down.” His personal philosophy seemed to hold that notwithstanding the beauty and artistry behind poetry, a poem must move the reader and evoke an emotional response. His acceptance of the great joys and losses of his life also served as inspiration for his work. In the same interview mentioned above, Gilbert stated, “I like my memories of being hungry and lost. I relish all those things. The experience of being myself. To be privileged to have been there, in my life.”
Literary Context
Gilbert spoke highly of modernist poets like T.S. Eliot, William Carlos Williams, and Ezra Pound, whose poetry broke prescriptive form of the time and reimagined the poetic experience. Modernist poetry was often open-ended and interpretive with many poems offering complex philosophical ideas. This influence is apparent in “Tear It Down” within the poem’s ambiguous meaning and the way Gilbert intended his readers to interpret it. The blending of themes found in Modernist poetry—history, nature, and romance—is also apparent in Gilbert’s work.
Gilbert said the first influence on his poetry came from poets of the Tang Dynasty. The emotional expression found in their poems moved him: “I was fascinated by that: how much you could do with so little” (Gilbert, Jack, and Chard DeNiord. “An Interview with Jack Gilbert, by Chard DeNiord.” The American Poetry Review, vol. 38, no. 1, 2009, pp. 26–29. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/20684109. Accessed 28 June 2021). Gilbert’s simple, expressive style illustrates this influence, and he wrote with a succinct, personal approach. His style is personal, as though he engaged in personal, private conversations with whoever reads his poetry. The subjective nature of Gilbert’s intended meaning may be daunting for some readers who prefer a more straightforward approach; however, this very facet intrigues still other readers.
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