Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Sounds of the Resurrected Dead Man's Footsteps (#2)" by Marvin Bell is a profound and haunting exploration of memory, history, and the indelible marks left by trauma and loss. Through the dual sections of the poem, titled "Skulls," Bell delves into the aftermath of atrocity, the role of the poet in bearing witness, and the complex relationship between the individual and collective memory. The poem navigates the terrain of human suffering and the search for meaning in the remnants of the past.

1. Skulls

The first section opens with a chilling, almost apocalyptic scene where the natural world reacts to an unnamed cataclysm, and "the night froze." The expectation of a messiah and the subsequent absence of one underscore a profound disillusionment and the faltering of hope amid disaster. Bell's description of time's distortion—where "Time slowed down while events accelerated"—effectively captures the disorienting experience of living through periods of intense turmoil and violence.

The imagery of Nazis "clustered in public intersections, awaiting deliveries" and the juxtaposition of Schubert's beauty with the grieving cantor's tenor in the camps powerfully evokes the horror and paradoxes of the Holocaust. Bell conveys the duality of human capacity for both sublime art and unspeakable atrocity, highlighting the deep scars left on the collective consciousness by such events.

The notion that future experiences will "come up from the earth" bearing "the grief of the exterminated" suggests a haunting continuation of past traumas into present and future generations. The imagery of bones needing "all of our trucks to carry" and tattoos bled of their color by the earth speaks to the physical remnants of the victims and the efforts to erase their identities, even in death.

2. Skulls

The second section shifts focus to the poet's role as a chronicler of these lost voices. Bell's declaration of being "the poet of skulls without why or wherefore" reflects the burden of articulating the inarticulable, of giving voice to the voiceless. This poetry requires active participation from the reader to reanimate the "lost heads" with sensory experiences—water, beer, music, aromas—thereby restoring their humanity, even if only symbolically.

The call for the reader to "take these lost heads to heart" and to "see with the eyes of a skull" is an invitation to empathy, to understand the depth of loss and to bear witness to the past. Bell's allusion to "Hamlet, the Jew of Denmark" before Shakespeare's reinterpretation adds a layer of historical reclamation, asserting the importance of remembering and honoring the true stories of the past.

Bell contrasts the abstract, often impersonal nature of literary discussions ("the degradations of the literati") with the tangible, real-world symbols of individual lives—a workshirt, a hat and coat, a bed, a small syringe, a colorful yarmulke. These objects serve as touchstones of authenticity and personal history, standing in stark contrast to the mass dehumanization depicted in the poem's earlier sections.

"Sounds of the Resurrected Dead Man's Footsteps (#2)" is a powerful meditation on the ways in which history, memory, and trauma intersect with the act of creation and the responsibility of the poet. Marvin Bell navigates these themes with sensitivity and insight, offering a poignant reflection on the capacity of poetry to memorialize the past, engage with the present, and perhaps offer a semblance of healing for the future. Through this poem, Bell challenges readers to confront the depths of human suffering and to participate in the ongoing process of remembering and understanding.

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