Analysis- A Vast Confusion

A Vast Confusion 

Megan Koch

Long long I lay in the sands

Sounds of trains in the surf
in subways of the sea
And an even greater undersound
of a vast confusion in the universe
a rumbling and a roaring
as of some enormous creature turning
under sea and earth
a billion sotto voices murmuring
a vast muttering
a swelling stuttering
in ocean's speakers
world's voice-box heard with ear to sand
a shocked echoing
a shocking shouting
of all life's voices lost in night
And the tape of it
someow running backwards now
through the Moog Synthesizer of time
Chaos unscrambled
back to the first
harmonies
And the first light 

“A vast Confusion” is a famous poem written by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. In this poem Ferlinghetti is reflecting upon the fact that he’s confused about the world. This poem is an example of what many poets write about called a “beat” poem. A beat poem is a poem that represents poets anti-conformists attitudes, basically a poem talking about poets hate for politics or just how the world works. The main theme in this poem is confusion. Ferlinghetti seems to be confused about the way the world works.

                  In the first few lines, Ferlinghetti talks about lying in the sand, and it seems like he’s enjoying life. But, then he says “of a vast confusion in the universe”, this is basically saying that he doesn’t quite understand the universe. So the poem goes from life seeming quite good to how confusing it actually is. Perhaps he was lying in the sand reflecting on life, and then he comes across to the fact that the world is a confusing place. The next few lines start off with “And an even greater undersound of a vast confusion in the universe” this is saying that he doesn’t quite understand the way the world works and what people think. Also, Ferlinghetti writes about how large and divided the world has gotten and how everyone has different opinions. The line “a billion sotto voices murmuring” means that many people talk, but no one really seems to listen. Perhaps he’s talking about how society doesn’t really care for you unless you’re famous.

                  The metaphors in this poem are “and the tape of it someow running backwards now through the Moog Synthesizer of time”, and “a vast muttering a swelling stuttering in ocean’s speakers”. In the first metaphor Ferlinghetti is comparing a tape running backward through a Moog Synthesizer and going back in time when the world was less complicated. The second metaphor compares the people’s thoughts that are being said to muttering in ocean speakers.

                  The mood and tones in this poem are confusion and chaos. The mood in this poem is confusion because Ferlinghetti seems to be talking about how he doesn’t understand society and how everyone has different opinions on everything, however, in the end, no one’s voice really gets heard. Also chaos is the tone is this poem, this is because the way Ferlinghetti looks at society its one big mess, which is chaotic. The fact that people are trying to get heard but no one listens. Instead of the world changing, it’s just the same thing over and over again.

                  Lastly, in the last couple of lines in the poem Ferlinghetti writes “And the tape of it someow running backwards now through the Moog Synthesizer of time”. What he’s saying through this is that everyone’s aware of how the universe is and it’s all running through your mind like a Moog Synthesizer (which is a music player). Then he writes “chaos unscrambled” which means that he has realized what the world has come to or what it will become.  “Back to the first harmonies and the first light” what this may mean is that Ferlinghetti is going back to times when the world wasn’t so complicated. So basically, what Ferlinghetti is trying to say in this particular poem is that no one really gets heard, and the world is one big object with many different views and aspects.