The Artists' and Models' Ball
For Frank Shepherd
The Artists' and Models' Ball - meaning Summary
Surprise in the Ordinary
Brooks contrasts spectacular events with everyday things to argue that the ordinary is deceptively unstable. People readily name and accept wonders, then dispose of them, while common objects and routines seem steady enough to let us carry on. Yet those familiar elements quietly change "behind our backs," exposing human complacency and limited awareness. The poem warns that small, unnoticed transformations can confound our expectations and understanding.
Read Complete AnalysesWonders do not confuse. We call them that And close the matter there. But common things Surprise us. They accept the names we give With calm, and keep them. Easy-breathing then We brave our next small business. Well, behind Our backs they alter. How were we to know.
From The Bean Eaters (1960)
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