John Updike’s “Telephone Poles”

Text:
They have been with us a long time.
They will outlast the elms.
Our eyes, like the eyes of a savage sieving the trees
In his search for game,
Run through them. They blend along small-town streets
Like a race of giants that have faded into mere mythology.
Our eyes, washed clean of belief,
Lift incredulous to their fearsome crowns of bolts, trusses,

struts, nuts, insulators, and such
Barnacles as compose
These weathered encrustations of electrical debris¬
Each a Gorgon’s head, which, seized right,
Could stun us to stone.

Yet they are ours. We made them.
See here, where the cleats of linemen
Have roughened a second bark
Onto the bald trunk. And these spikes
Have been driven sideways at intervals handy for human legs.
The Nature of our construction is in every way
A better fit than the Nature it displaces
What other tree can you climb where the birds’ twitter,
Unscrambled, is English? True, their thin shade is negligible,
But then again there is not that tragic autumnal
Casting-off of leaves to outface annually.
These giants are more constant than evergreens
By being never green.

Initial Reaction:
Initially I recognize that “Telephone Poles,” obviously, discusses telephone poles, though Updike never directly addresses them as such. His constant use of pronouns is interesting. Updike discusses the history of telephone poles, as well as their function in society, and reflects on what they mean to him. On a broader spectrum, this poem is not merely about poles but it also reflects on human-environment interaction in general. I am unsure whether Updike admires mankind for its ingenuity in creating telephone poles or hates it for destroying nature.

Paraphrasing:
They have been here for a long time.

They will be here even after the other trees die.

Our eyes, like those of a person wildly scanning the trees

In search of animals to hunt,

Look through the trees. They blend in on streets in small towns

Like something mythical.

Our eyes, in disbelief,

Notice the intricate features atop the pole: bolts, trusses,

struts, nuts, insulators, etc.

That make up

These worn-down telephone poles—

Each pole is like a Gorgon’s head,

Capable of turning us to stone.

Yet they are a creation of man.

See, where workers' shoes

Have made indentations into the bark

Onto the bald, manipulated tree. And these metal spikes

Have been placed at the convenience of man.

Our construction of these poles is

More fitting than the trees they replaced

What other tree can you climb where the birds' noise

Interpreted, is English? Yes, they don't offer much shade.

But they don't experience that fall

Shedding of leaves to endure every year.

These poles are more constant than other trees

By not being trees.

SWIFTT:
Syntax/Word Choice:

"Telephone Poles" contains two stanzas of equal length--thirteen lines each. The first stanza describes telephone poles, while the second stanza describes the relationship between these poles and mankind. The poem does not appear to have rhyme. Many of the lines feature enjambment. Although Updike never refers to them as telephone poles, he uses several adjectives or phrases to describe them.

Imagery:

The poem provokes images of telephone poles, towering thin and tall over suburban streets, equipped with electrical parts at the top and metal spikes driven into the bald trunk.

Figurative Language:

There are several examples of figurative language in "Telephone Poles." Similes are present in lines 3 and 6: "like the eyes of a savage..." and "like a race of giants." Also, line 12 features (a metaphor and) an allusion to the Gorgons. Lines 21-22 present a rhetorical question to the audience.

Tone:

The tone seems to convey pride in mankind's creation, yet I suspect this "admiration for human ingenuity and advancement" is ironic. I believe the underlying tone is stern and disapproving of the way mankind has displaced nature.

Theme:
In man's attempt to improve nature, we have in fact destroyed it by displacing objects of natural beauty.

Conclusion:

After analyzing "Telephone Poles," Updike's purpose has become more clear to me. I believe he intended the poem to be ironic. Although he praises the poles for the entirety of the poem for their creation and usefulness, he is really spiteful towards the manmade objects. They have displaced trees (as well as habitats for birds) and have taken away some of the earth's natural beauty, making the scene dull and ugly. Updike indirectly suggests that we move away from this environmental degradation and instead embrace and preserve the beauty of nature.