Barbara Guest

Barbara Guest 1920-2006

Barbara Guest was a member of a group called the New York school of poets, which was heavily influenced by modern art, like surrealism and abstract expressionism. Their works were made based on impulse, much like Jackson Pollock's impulsive art works. Because the New York School poets were influenced by surrealist art, there is a sense of the dream world in Barbara Guest's poem. There are underlying meanings to her words. Her style "often utilizes space as a way to draw attention to language."

"The Blue Stairs" 

There is no fear

in taking the first step

or the second

or the third

                                 having a position

                                 between several Popes

In fact the top

can be reached

without disaster

                                 precocious

The code

consists in noticing

the particular shade

of the staircase

                                 occasionally giving way

                                 to the emotions

It has been chosen

discriminately

To graduate

the dimensions

ease them into sight

                                 republic of space

Radiant deepness

a thumb

passed over it

                                 disarming

                                 as one who executes robbers

Waving the gnats

and the small giants

aside

                                 balancing

How to surprise

a community

by excellence

somehow it occurred

                                 living a public life

The original design

was completed

no one complained

In a few years

it was forgotten

                                 floating

It was framed

like any other work of art

not too ignobly

                                 kicking the ladder away

Now I shall tell you

why it is beautiful

Design: extraordinary

color:    cobalt blue

                                 secret platforms

Heels twist it

into shape

It has a fantastic area

made for a tread

that will ascend

Being humble

i.e. productive

Its purpose

is to take you upward

On an elevator

of human fingerprints

of the most delicate

fixity

Being practical

and knowing its denominator

To push

one foot ahead of the other

Being a composite

which sneers at marble

                                 all orthodox movements

It has discovered

in the creak of a footstep

the humility of sound

Spatially selective

using this counterfeit

of height

To substantiate

a method of progress

Reading stairs

as interpolation

in the problem of gradualness

                                 with heavy and pure logic

The master builder

acknowledges this

As do the artists

in their dormer rooms

                                 eternal banishment

Who are usually grateful

to anyone who prevents them

from taking a false step

And having reached the summit

would like to stay there

even if the stairs are withdrawn

Sorry sorry sorry I know that was long. But as mentioned previously, one of the first outstanding features of the poem is its structure. We can see the impulsivity in her work with the seemingly random arrangement of words. But the words do appear to be in a sort of stair shape, like each new stanza takes a step down, which I think we can assume to be intentional what with the title being "The Blue STAIRS" and all. The influence of abstract expressionism is also very evident in this poem with the sporadic placement of words. It seems like Barbara is just flinging words onto the page randomly just as Pollock would do with his paint. 

So for the poem itself, I think Barbara is mainly just talking about the symbolism of a staircase. Of how it symbolizes progress and ascension to better things in life. I'm sure it goes much deeper than that, but I may have been just the slightest bit thrown off by all the random words and phrases from the right-hand stanzas. 

http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/barbara-guest

Also here's a bit of a Jackson Pollock-the famous Abstract Expressionist- since I mentioned him so many times in this. (Also note the handprints on the top).