Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Anthony Hecht's "Christmas is Coming" presents a stark and harrowing meditation on the realities of war, suffering, and survival. Through vivid and often brutal imagery, the poem juxtaposes the familiar festive anticipation of Christmas with the harsh and unforgiving conditions faced by soldiers and the impoverished during winter.

The poem begins by establishing a bleak atmosphere where darkness and cold dominate the landscape. The poor, symbolized as wandering the hills at night, are depicted as hunters, "gunning for enemies." This opening scene sets the stage for a world where survival is a constant struggle, and nature itself becomes a formidable adversary. The imagery of winter locking the lake and hardening the rocks transforms the environment into an unyielding and painful terrain. Grass, typically soft and nurturing, is now "fossilized and brittle," emphasizing the inversion of nature's usual roles and the added suffering it causes.

Hecht weaves in the familiar lines from the traditional Christmas rhyme, "Christmas is coming. The goose is getting fat. / Please put a penny in the Old Man’s Hat," creating a jarring contrast between the nostalgic, festive expectations and the grim reality depicted in the poem. This refrain serves as a reminder of societal rituals and the disparity between those who can afford to celebrate and those who cannot.

The poem further explores the theme of lost warmth and life through the metaphor of blood. The enemy's acute hearing in the cold suggests a heightened sense of danger and vulnerability. The vivid description of blood "locked in the limbs of some poor animal / In a diaspora of crimson ice" underscores the lifelessness and desolation of the scene. The physical pain of cold is depicted as all-encompassing, numbing the senses and making it difficult to even recognize one's own body or the environment.

As the poem progresses, Hecht delves deeper into the physical and emotional toll of this cold, unrelenting world. The imagery of crawling on the ground, encountering bits of string and pieces of foil left by the enemy, symbolizes the remnants of humanity amidst the devastation. The cold rifle, "taking its temper from the cold," embodies the lethal and detached nature of war. The repeated questioning of "Where is the warmth? Where is the pain?" reflects a yearning for the basic human experiences that have been stripped away by the harsh conditions.

The final stanzas of the poem focus on the act of crawling to rediscover pain and warmth, suggesting a desperate need to reconnect with life's essential elements. The search for thorns and brambles, symbols of suffering and the crown of thorns, represents a quest for meaning and a reminder of human vulnerability. The quiet, cautious movements emphasize the constant threat of detection and the need for stealth in survival.

The closing lines of the poem return to the Christmas rhyme, reinforcing the stark contrast between the festive cheer and the bleak reality. The repetition of "If you haven’t got a penny, a ha’penny will do, / If you haven’t got a ha’penny, God bless you" serves as a poignant reminder of the persistent inequality and the marginalization of the poor, even during times of supposed generosity and goodwill.

In "Christmas is Coming," Anthony Hecht masterfully combines the harsh realities of war and poverty with the superficial cheer of the holiday season, creating a powerful commentary on human suffering and the enduring spirit of those who endure it. Through stark imagery and a juxtaposition of festive refrains with scenes of desolation, the poem challenges readers to confront the often-overlooked hardships faced by the most vulnerable in society.

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