"A Report on a Happening in Washington Square, San Francisco"
I've always felt that San Francisco has a certain way of bringing people together and this poem captures that in a perfect way; in a bitter sweet, make you smile kind of way. The poem is told by a passerby who witnesses the congratulations directly after a wedding ceremony outside of a church. There's this beautiful moment when all the guests let go of their green balloons in honor of the bride and groom and they too let go of their black and white balloons that are tied together. However, no one looks up at those balloons. The couple and their friends get on their 'cable car' that isn't actually a cable car because it's not attached to anything, "which would have restricted its destiny" This line is important because the non detached cable car symbolizes that the couple has no specific path or destiny to hold in life. The couple, like the balloons, are free to float onto whatever heights and distances they please together, while the other balloons, the guests, split up and float in their own directions. In a way, I think this is a frightening thought for most people and that's why no one looks at the balloons, what if they pop or worse, especially for the couple, separate. At the end, Ferlinghetti brings us back down and reminds us that as great as it would be to float on forever, all balloons come back down. This poem is bitter sweet because its about this beautiful, joyous moment, not necessarily with a sad ending but a realistic one that leaves one with peace. I feel that San Francisco brings people together, gives them great moments and then if they chose, leaves them with these serene memories. Ferlinghetti just so happened to capture this with a wedding and balloons.
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2 comments:
I too feel that San Francisco truly does bring people together despite their differences. I really like your analogy of how the balloons do float but at some point or another they come back down. It kind of exemplifies reality: there are times that seem so surreal and peaceful, but you have to wake up and face the music. I do believe San Francisco does leaves each person a memory when they visit or live there because it truly is a magical place filled with tangible culture.
Nice readings, Nika - the idea that no one knows where they're going, but are still hesitant to think about "disappearing balloons of their lives" or the end of destiny, is haunting. At the same time, the bride and groom are so happy, they're happy in the present and they're happy to make symbolic provisions for the future. But what, really, are they doing? Is there anything they're not paying attention too - for example, how "touristy" and "conventional" their ritual is?
Meanwhile, I'm still thinking about why the bride is described as "beatific"...?
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