Summary

"A Peacock Oratorio" is a poem by Ronald C. Flores-Gunkle that explores themes of creativity, existence, and the essence of poetry through the metaphor of peacocks.

Abstract

The poem "A Peacock Oratorio" by Ronald C. Flores-Gunkle is a rich tapestry of imagery and metaphor, centered around the peacock as a symbol of beauty and artistic expression. The poem is divided into sections that mimic the structure of an oratorio, with a prologue setting the stage for a meditation on the nature of poetry and its connection to the human condition. The peacock serves as a multifaceted emblem, representing both the poet's creation and the extension of human myth and ego. Through various voices, including a chorus of peahens and a recitative, the poem delves into the complexities of artistic endeavor, the struggle for freedom, and the paradoxes of perception. The poem also touches on the themes of love, death, and the search for meaning, culminating in a reflective recessional that questions the true value and capabilities of the peacock, and by extension, the poet's work.

Opinions

The poem suggests that poetry is an untouchable and pure form of art that cannot be altered or mishandled without losing its essence.
It posits that a poem is an extension of the poet's inner self, akin to a "myth" or an "ego."
The poem conveys a sense of wonder and mystery surrounding the peacock, which is both admired for its beauty and misunderstood in its capabilities.
There is a recurring theme that peacocks, like poems, are underestimated in their ability to transcend physical limitations, implying a deeper potential for both artistic expression and personal growth.
The poem expresses a love for the peacock, symbolizing a deep appreciation for the intricacies of poetry and art.
It challenges the notion that peacocks, and by analogy, poems, cannot fly, suggesting that both can achieve a form of transcendence.
The poem reflects on the idea that the true nature of art, like the peacock's ability to fly, is often dismissed or overlooked by conventional wisdom.
It presents the peahen as a witness to the souls wandering aimlessly, perhaps commenting on the role of the observer in understanding and interpreting art.
The poem personifies the peacock with human emotions and struggles, such as the ability to experience love and death, thereby drawing a parallel between the life of a peacock and the human experience.
The final sections question the intrinsic value and capabilities of the peacock, leaving the reader to ponder the worth and essence of art beyond its immediate beauty and impact.

A Peacock Oratorio

Poem by Ronald C. Flores-Gunkle

Prologue

muse of the Medium,

song of all media,

chorus of circumstance

and sterile-eyed time;

moanings of motorcars

waiting in line.

there are odors, bouquets they say,

in jasmine-romantic, warm-colored semantic,

musical stanzas, dramatically formed.

a verse that can’t be tongued or touched,

smelled, misspelled and catheterized,

embraced, disgraced or mutilated,

is nothing but perverse and languid prose.

a poem

is an extension

of man’s myth (his penis),

a retention of his ego.

1. Chorus of Peahens

peacock by willow and willow by dam,

be rocked in the arms of a stillborn lamb

and steeped in the wine of the time,

timed in the waters of rhyme,

raped by the willow-strewn hearse

and dawned by the song of a peacock.

2. Recitative

lord elderberry peacock sing out wagnerian harpsichordian and true.

we love you elderberry peacock, you know it’s genuine and almost true.

you really do, lord peacock.

you think you can accept the view

of all of us lord peacock?

spread out the feathers of your tail, lord peacock, spread,

since no one can resist the sadofrensilated dread

the sight of silvergreen gold eyes can cause, the said

revision of your all, lord peacock.

we love you elderberry peacock. we really do.

3. Madrigale Arioso

peacock by willow and willow by dam,

loved by a peacock the way that he can.

peacock by cherry and cherry by dawn,

dawned by a cherry and touched by a fawn.

take a peacock home for mother

(if you cannot find another willing man).

peacock by willow and willow away,

and willow away.

4. Aria

the peacock cannot fly says abraham

and every man with dust and darkness

in his eye.

a peacock cannot fly says abraham

(and everyman with misery and grim finality).

a peacock cannot see

or sing,

and on the wing is ludicrous to watch.

it stumbles on its crotch

and never free of mother earth

stumbles aimlessly, endlessly.

5. Chorus of Peacocks

rita griffin came to tea

with a bright green peacock on her knee.

“peacock, peacock, burning bright,

will you fly with me tonight?”

the peacock answered with a smile,

“you’ll have to palpitate awhile.”

his peacock heart released a sigh,

“they said that peacocks cannot fly.

I fly,

I really fly!”

6. Hymn

as ugly as virtue,

the peahen watched

and gave a passable account

of all the souls

that wandered aimfully about;

about time that drowsed

and stood on one foot,

then the other.

she stared inquisitively blank,

politely lost,

then turned about

and scratched a truce-

a peacock peace

on earth.

(a peacock peace

on earth.)

7. Dirge

like the swan, the peacock sings of death:

of death in love and monasteries,

goldlit death in sunlit cellars,

deep agonies and smiles of death.

the white and gray and damp of life

lived out, of days urged out

of proud and bright existence.

his song defies the nightingale’s,

his night an end, a termination.

in one harsh melody his peacock life

takes flight on flightless wings of love.

we love you elderberry peacock,

peacock of the willow.

we really do.

8. Recessional

a peacock in the hand is worth

one thousand on the wing.

but what I want to know

is does a peacock sing?

I want to know, I really want to know.

a peacock pees three times a day,

or more, I cannot say.

but what I’d really like to know

is does a peacock pray?

I want to know. I really want to know.