Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"The Revenant" by William Meredith juxtaposes an excerpt from Kurt Vonnegut's *Breakfast of Champions* with a haunting monologue by a spirit, reflecting on its death and the stoic acceptance of suffering. The poem delves into themes of silence, suffering, and the inability of those in power to learn from the suffering they inflict. It explores the parallels between the fantastical narrative of Kilgore Trout and the grim historical anecdote of Heliogabalus, a Roman emperor known for his cruelty.

The poem opens with Vonnegut's character Kilgore Trout, a cynical and disillusioned figure who sneers at the end of the world while mocking his parakeet, Bill, about the impending collapse of the atmosphere. This introductory passage sets a tone of nihilism and dark humor, portraying humanity as deserving of extinction due to its wasteful and cruel behavior. Trout's reference to Heliogabalus, an emperor who cruelly executed people by roasting them inside a hollow iron bull, serves as a metaphor for the senseless cruelty and indulgence of those in power.

Meredith's original content begins with the line "I am a spirit now," shifting from the narrative of Vonnegut's novel to a first-person account of a spirit reflecting on its past life and death. The spirit describes a painful death from stomach cancer, during which it maintained silence with the aid of morphine. The spirit's desire to shout, like the grandchildren playing outside, represents an unfulfilled need for expression, tempered by the "lesson" of restraint learned in life.

The poem then vividly recounts the experience of being placed inside the "clanking belly" of the iron bull, a symbolic representation of the spirit's confinement and suffering. The spirit describes its efforts to keep silent as the heat intensified, likening its silent thrashing to "the way a deaf-mute might scream." This image powerfully conveys the frustration of being unable to express pain and the isolation of suffering.

As the fire grows, the spirit is careful to avoid making noise, even as it "danced out its message" through physical movement. The poem contrasts the silent suffering of the spirit with the expectations of the jowly emperor, Heliogabalus, who expected a spectacle. The emperor's disappointment at the lack of audible screams—comparing the previous victim's screams to an orgasm—highlights his perverse fascination with suffering as entertainment.

The poem's closing lines reflect on the spirit's experience and the failure of the emperor to learn or grow from the suffering inflicted. The spirit's "blessed silence" was meant to be a statement, a form of resistance or message, but it failed to impact Heliogabalus, who remained unaltered and unenlightened by the experience. The final line, "He was not elevated by that existence," underscores the futility of trying to communicate profound truths to those who are incapable or unwilling to understand.

"The Revenant" poignantly captures the essence of stoic endurance and the often futile nature of trying to convey meaning through suffering. Meredith's exploration of the themes of silence, power, and the human capacity for cruelty reflects a deep cynicism about the potential for enlightenment in the face of systemic and entrenched inhumanity. The poem serves as a powerful meditation on the limits of expression and the inherent challenge of communicating the depth of suffering to those who do not share or understand it.

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