Charles Simic, a distinguished poet for over five decades, continues to produce prolific work well into his eighties. His latest collection, No Land in Sight, echoes his recent style seen in works like Come Closer and Listen (2019) and Scribbled in the Dark (2017). The poems are concise, often under ten lines, and are mainly situated in a city, presumably New York City. The speaker, likely a reflection of Simic, is a solitary insomniac who traverses the city streets or lies awake listening to ominous winds, a recurring motif in Simic’s poetry. His verses convey empathy for the homeless, disdain for political figures, and bewilderment at society’s blind adherence to authority.
Simic’s poems challenge the idyllic notion of Nature as an escape from societal corruption. In “All But Invisible,” the speaker observes a struggling fly ignored by the setting sun and tormented by a merciless wind, revealing a satirical perspective on the Romantic ideals of Nature. Similarly, in “The Mirage,” Simic humorously mocks the Romantic notion of the sublime, imagining unrealistic scenes like a snow-capped mountain approaching Chicago. He extends this satire to a Greek pastoral scene tainted by industrial pollution.
In No Land in Sight, Simic portrays a bleak world devoid of human empathy and decency. Poems like “Everyone is Running Late” and “The Music Box” highlight callous indifference and societal apathy towards the less fortunate. The collection consistently paints a dystopian landscape where despair reigns, even in traditionally hopeful symbols like spring.
Nevertheless, amid the despair, Simic suggests a glimmer of hope in the poem “In the Lockdown,” where a metaphorical retreat into religion offers solace amidst turmoil. Drawing parallels to Christian asceticism, the speaker finds peace in silence and contemplation.
The closing poem, “The Wind Has Died,” evokes a sense of aimlessness and impending finality. The speaker’s boat adrift without sight of land hints at a journey towards the unknown, perhaps symbolizing the transition into death. The poem’s somber tone lingers, leaving readers to contemplate the uncertainties that lie ahead after the bleak portrayal in No Land in Sight.
