Jean Toomer's poetic journey, beginning with "The First American," culminates in the impressive "Blue Meridian." This epic poem, characterized by its expansive exploration of American identity, sees its themes evolve over time. With influences from poets like Walt Whitman and Hart Crane, Toomer's work traverses the landscape of America's past, present, and potential future, envisioning a new, inclusive race.

Origins and Evolution

Toomer initially penned a 126-line poem titled "The First American" during the early 1920s while working on his acclaimed book Cane. Over a decade later, in 1932, this poem appeared as "Brown River, Smile." However, its true form emerged in 1936 when an expansive 835-line version, "Blue Meridian," was included in the anthology New American Caravan. Reflecting on the poem's development, Toomer remarked on the lengthy creative process: “Years were to pass . . . before the germ of ’The First American’ could grow and ripen and be embodied in ’The Blue Meridian.’” He envisioned a new race forming in America, a journey he believed he was among the first to consciously embark upon.

Influences and Themes

Crafted in free verse, "Blue Meridian" resonates with the grand style of Walt Whitman’s work, notably reminiscent of "Song of Myself." More directly, it bears the imprint of Hart Crane’s The Bridge, a poetic sequence exploring America's evolving identity. Both Crane and Toomer expressed a deep connection to human experience and the intertwining of American identity with spirituality; each used the Mississippi River as a near-mythical symbol in their work. Toomer’s poem, like Crane's, investigates these themes deeply.

Structure and Symbolism

"Blue Meridian" is divided into three sections, each introduced with a reference to a meridian. It begins with the Black Meridian, "sleeping on an inland lake," progresses to the White Meridian "waking on an inland lake," and concludes with a coda featuring a "Dynamic atom-aggregate" Blue Meridian, alive and dancing. This transition from repose to activity mirrors the awakening awareness among Americans of their nation's unique essence. Toomer chronicles the historical development of the United States, highlighting the Native American presence and the successive waves of immigrants from Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, and Africa. He draws a parallel between these waves and the Mississippi River, invoking its sacred connection to India’s Ganges.

Meridian Colors and Racial Unity

The colors of the meridians hold symbolic significance. Toomer discards the binary black and white, proposing "the high way of the third,/ The man of blue or purple," representing "new people . . . called Americans." He envisions these individuals as transcending their "unbroken chain of ancestors," evolving "towards the universal Human Being." In this visionary future, racial distinctions will dissolve, allowing people to pursue their dreams unhindered by societal constraints.

A Hopeful Yet Realistic Vision

While Toomer's vision is fundamentally optimistic, he acknowledges the arduous journey ahead. Achieving this "promised land" will entail navigating a "struggle through purgatories of many names." He suggests that assistance from the "Radiant Incorporeal" or "soul of our universe" will be essential in this transformation process.

Thematic Connections and Contrast with Cane

"Blue Meridian" shares thematic ties with Toomer's earlier work Cane, though the novel ends on a more tentative note. Its characters remain far from realizing the "spiritual fusion . . . of racial intermingling" that Toomer envisioned for himself. The novel's depiction of an incomplete circle between its second and third sections symbolizes this unattained aspiration. In stark contrast, "Blue Meridian" radiates with celebratory optimism, as its title suggests a complete circle, representing the zenith of growth, power, or splendor.