Anecdote of the Jar is an enigmatic poem that baffles readers. In just three stanzas the poem poses more questions than answers. The clear part of the poem is the first line where there seems to be an indication that a person initiated this mysterious process. A jar is placed in a Tennessee landscape, and the one who put it is nowhere. The jar seems to be a catalyst for action or sort of a scientific experiment. Some of the interpretations or symbolism portrayed by the jar could be industrial imperialism or male ego firmly placed in a female environment.
In this poem, however, imagery is part and parcel of the poem and some examples of imagery are: “slovenly”, “round and tall”, “tall and of a port in the air”, “grey and bare”, and “bird and bush.” The author has just placed a simple jar in Tennessee, and because of the jars position in the hill it draws the "slovenly wilderness." This creates an image of a wilderness that seems messy or slovenly and somehow incompatible with a glass jar. Round and tall embodies the common shapes but around the jar in the forest or wilderness raises more questions.
More so, the artist repeats “tall” meaning that the jar is highly noticeable. The jar is described as “grey and bare” which means it is unlike anything existing in the wilderness. This description ignites more imaginations which somehow give this poem meaning. The tone of the poem is somehow gloomy and regretful but seems to change as the poem progress. There are numerous occasional end rhythms such as hill/hill, air/bare/everywhere. All these, however, appear as if it was by accident and play a very insignificant role in the wholeness of this poem.
Finally, there is a repetition of words such as around, surround, round and round, and ground. These repetitions create a dizzying effect as if ripples are emanating from the jar and causing some physical effect. Ideally, as this poem progress, there seems to be a definite shift in the role of the jar. At first, it was placed by the author but later appears to be causing the wilderness to move and then surround the hill.
