Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Irving Feldman’s poem "Se Aprovechan'" is a stark and thought-provoking exploration of war, exploitation, and the grotesque juxtaposition between art and atrocity. The Spanish title, which translates to "They Take Advantage," sets the tone of opportunism and ruthlessness that characterizes the soldiers' actions. Feldman creates a vivid contrast between the aesthetic idealization of the human form and the brutal reality of death and desecration in war.

The poem begins with a blunt acknowledgment of the soldiers’ utilitarian approach to the dead: "They take advantage — the soldiers need clothes, / While corpses don’t, who have their repose." The soldiers strip the corpses because they no longer have any use for clothing. The word "repose" suggests that death has brought a kind of peace to the corpses, but it also implies their complete vulnerability. Feldman continues, "And nakedness like a second birth, / And nose-down sniff new science from the earth." Here, nakedness is paradoxically portrayed as a "second birth," a grim irony that reflects the stripping of identity and humanity from the dead. The dead bodies’ proximity to the earth implies decomposition and return to nature, but the metaphor of "sniff[ing] new science" adds a chilling layer of exploitation, suggesting that their deaths become material for further study or use.

Feldman’s tone becomes increasingly sardonic as he describes the desecration of the corpses: "So what if nakedness admits the crows!" The indifference of the soldiers to the indignity of scavenging crows underscores their disregard for human life. The following lines—"Such handsome athletic figures, / Twenty centuries of nudes!"—juxtapose the idealized artistic tradition of the nude with the reality of war. Feldman compares the soldiers to "bungling apprentices of the muse / Or drunken helpers in a museum cellar," emphasizing their lack of skill and grace in handling the dead.

The soldiers’ crude handling of the corpses—"Yank and tug at to uncover"—further desecrates the bodies. Feldman writes that they "give that hopeless bric-a-brac / A little of the rhetoric of passion back," ironically suggesting that even their brutality provides a twisted kind of expression to the lifeless bodies. The phrase "hopeless bric-a-brac" underscores the dehumanization of the dead, reducing them to mere objects or relics.

In the final lines, Feldman introduces a powerful and disturbing image: "A giant tree with haunches of a mother, / In her anguish torn and flowering and black, / Rears up!—but the head is out of the picture." The metaphor of the giant tree suggests a maternal figure, symbolizing life and resilience amidst the devastation. However, the tree is also "torn and flowering and black," hinting at the violence and decay that accompany war. The fact that "the head is out of the picture" signifies a disconnection, an incomplete understanding or representation of the scene. This missing head can also be interpreted as a critique of how the full reality of war is often sanitized or obscured in historical or artistic narratives.

Structurally, "Se Aprovechan'" is a compact poem, composed of rhyming couplets that lend a rhythm to the grim imagery. The rhyme scheme adds a sense of order that contrasts sharply with the chaotic brutality described in the poem. Feldman’s use of enjambment allows the lines to flow, creating a narrative progression that leads to the final, striking image of the tree.

Overall, "Se Aprovechan'" is a powerful critique of the dehumanization inherent in war and exploitation. Feldman juxtaposes art and atrocity, revealing the grotesque irony of finding aesthetic ideals in the desecration of the dead. By highlighting the soldiers’ opportunistic cruelty, he challenges readers to consider the cost of war not just in human lives but in the erosion of humanity itself. The poem ultimately serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of empathy and the dangers of reducing people to objects in the pursuit of advantage.

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