Poem Analysis - The Natural History Of Elephants

Milton Acorn's "The Natural History of Elephants" is a sprawling, imaginative exploration of consciousness and being, filtered through the lens of the elephant's perspective. The poem adopts a tone that oscillates between reverence, humor, and philosophical inquiry, creating a captivating portrait of the elephant as a symbol of both immense power and surprising vulnerability. Acorn grants the elephant a rich inner life, imbuing it with a complex understanding of the world that transcends simple animal instinct. This bestows on the elephant, and consequently on the reader, an expanded and renewed awareness of reality.

The Elephant's Grand Perspective

One of the central themes of the poem is the relative insignificance of human concerns when viewed from a larger, more encompassing perspective. This is immediately established with the imagery of the elephant's brain containing the "whole world's both table and shithouse." This jarring juxtaposition forces the reader to consider the elephant's acceptance of the dualities of existence, readily embracing both the pleasant and the unpleasant. The poem uses the size and scale of the elephant to represent this vastness of perspective. The lines about pygmies falling and drowning in the elephant’s excrement illustrate this point dramatically, suggesting that what may be a monumental disaster for humans is merely a triviality for the elephant.

The Burden of Awareness

The poem also explores the theme of the burden of awareness and the limits of understanding. The elephant's "five-pound brain" becomes a container for profound, if inarticulable, thoughts. The beast struggles with concepts too weighty for language, leading to an "eternal pondering hesitation." This suggests that true understanding may be beyond the reach of words, and that the most profound insights remain unspoken. The poem cleverly conveys the elephant's intelligence not through factual knowledge but through the sheer scale and complexity of its internal experience. The frustration of not being able to express this inner world is a source of both wonder and sorrow. The line "The entire Oxford dictionary'ld be too small / To contain all the concepts" demonstrates this perfectly.

Love, Lust, and Life

The poem further delves into the theme of love and lust as fundamental drives that shape the elephant's existence. The elephant's "pliable trunk" and its use reveal it as an organ of "thrilling tenderness," demonstrating an innocent and all-consuming love for the world. In contrast, its "urgent pricking member" transforms the elephant into a "blundering mass of bewilderment," highlighting the raw, uncontrollable power of sexual desire. The vivid imagery of "sperm falls in great gouts" creates a sense of both the absurdity and the life-sustaining power of these primal urges. This juxtaposition of tenderness and uncontrolled desire underscores the complexity of the elephant's nature, mirroring the complexities of life itself.

Recurring Images

Several recurring symbols and images contribute to the poem's overall meaning. The "five-pound brain" acts as a microcosm of the universe, containing an endless array of thoughts, feelings, and experiences. The elephant's dung, initially presented as a source of disgust, is later transformed into a symbol of life and nourishment, sustaining entire ecosystems. The dwarves, representing humanity, symbolize the small-mindedness and destructiveness that the elephant struggles to comprehend. These images are not simply decorative; they are integral to the poem's exploration of consciousness, scale, and the relationship between humanity and the natural world.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, "The Natural History of Elephants" is a masterful exploration of perspective, awareness, and the fundamental drives of life, all conveyed through the rich and compelling imagery of the elephant. Acorn uses the elephant as a vehicle to examine human concerns from a detached, yet deeply empathetic, point of view. The poem's shifting tones, vivid imagery, and recurring symbols create a powerful and thought-provoking meditation on the nature of existence and our place within it. Ultimately, Acorn's poem suggests that by considering the world through the eyes of another being, even one as different as an elephant, we can gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and the interconnectedness of all things.