Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Philip Levine's "1, 1, 2000" is a vivid and haunting meditation on time, change, and the enduring impact of the past on the present. Through a series of evocative and often surreal images, Levine contemplates the turn of the millennium and the persistence of memory and human experience in a world that seems to resist meaningful change.

The poem opens in a specific, almost mundane setting: "In Joe Priskulnick's darkened kitchen the face of Jesus appears on a dish towel, but no one's awake to bear witness." This image blends the sacred and the ordinary, suggesting a miraculous moment unnoticed in the quiet of the night. This motif of unnoticed miracles and overlooked significance runs throughout the poem, as Levine juxtaposes the miraculous with the banal and the sacred with the profane.

Next, Levine moves to a scene of activity behind his father's grease shop, a place where "all time stopped." This phrase sets up a contrast between the static past and the relentless movement of the present. The "hive of activity" suggests both life and chaos, hinting at darker, more violent undertones with references to "rats" and "guard dogs" and the broader social decay.

Levine reflects on the passage of two millennia and the persistence of human behavior: "You're thinking two thousand years passed in the blink of an eye and changed nothing, the eaters went on eating, their crazed teeth clicking with delight." This line underscores a cynical view of progress, suggesting that despite the passage of time, fundamental aspects of human nature remain unchanged.

The poem transitions to a deeply personal and poignant reflection on loss and memory: "You're thinking that's my mother rising from the ashes of her years, her robes signed with axle grease, her hair stained by the new dawn." This image of the mother as a phoenix-like figure stained by the past evokes a sense of resurrection and enduring presence, though Levine quickly negates this comforting vision with "It's not."

Levine then explores the theme of resurrection and return with the image of Joe Priskulnick, who has "gone west in a box," and his father, who has "come back after sixty-seven years in the wrong direction, into the earth that gagged on motor oil." The earth, giving back wildflowers and weeds, symbolizes a natural cycle of rebirth and reclamation, contrasting with the industrial and polluted past.

The poem's tone shifts to a broader existential contemplation: "You're thinking the dawn won't break, that time will end because it must, and the face of Christ will blaze in the darkness of a loveless century." Here, Levine grapples with the fear of an end to time and the enduring darkness of a century devoid of love and hope. This apocalyptic vision is tempered by the enduring image of a peaceful kingdom where "the cat and the mouse slumber side by side," an impossible vision of harmony and reconciliation.

Levine continues to weave personal memories with historical and mythic references, invoking Scotland mourning Margaret Baxter and Andrés, a laborer from Haskel, New Jersey. These personal histories are honored and mourned, emphasizing the value of individual lives and the small acts of daily labor and love.

The poem concludes with a powerful invocation of the new day breaking over the stained and forgotten relics of the past: "Let the new day break on the fenced yard, let it fill the kitchen with light overflowing the stained shot glass Joe left behind." This image of light flooding the darkness symbolizes hope and renewal, even as Levine acknowledges the enduring weight of the past.

Levine's "1, 1, 2000" is a rich tapestry of memory, history, and existential reflection. Through his vivid imagery and poignant meditations, Levine captures the complexities of human experience at the turn of the millennium, blending the personal with the universal, the sacred with the mundane, and the hopeful with the hopeless. The poem invites readers to reflect on their own lives and the broader sweep of history, finding meaning in the interplay of past, present, and future.

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