Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Mark Jarman's "Unholy Sonnet: 9" delves into the paradoxical and often futile nature of prayer in the face of catastrophic events. Through stark and evocative imagery, Jarman explores themes of faith, helplessness, and the persistence of human hope even in moments of utter despair.

The poem opens with the haunting image of a plane breaking apart: "Someone is always praying as the plane / Breaks up, and smoke and cold and darkness blow / Into the cabin." This immediate descent into chaos sets a dramatic and desperate scene. The passengers, faced with imminent disaster, turn to prayer as a last resort, highlighting the instinctive human response to seek divine intervention in moments of extreme fear and uncertainty.

Jarman continues to emphasize the act of praying "as it happens, / Praying before it happens that it won't." This repetition underscores the continuous and often desperate nature of prayer, as people cling to the hope that their supplications might prevent or mitigate disaster. The juxtaposition of praying "as it happens" and "before it happens" suggests a temporal loop, where prayer exists both in anticipation of and during the crisis.

The poem then shifts to a historical context, referencing Kristallnacht: "Someone was praying that it never happen / Before the first window on Kristallnacht / Broke like a wine glass wrapped in bridal linen." The comparison of the shattering window to a "wine glass wrapped in bridal linen" poignantly contrasts the violence of the event with the fragility and purity associated with a wedding. This juxtaposition intensifies the horror of the historical moment and underscores the futility of the prayers that preceded it.

Jarman further explores the concept of preemptive prayer: "Before it was imagined, someone was praying / That it be unimaginable." This line suggests that even the most unimaginable horrors are often the subject of human prayer, as people hope to ward off the worst possibilities through their pleas. However, the subsequent imagery of bolts blowing off and people falling "like bombs / Out of their names, out of the living sky" starkly illustrates the failure of these prayers to prevent catastrophe. The people "falling out of their names" symbolizes a loss of identity and humanity in the face of overwhelming destruction.

The poem concludes with a poignant reflection on the impact of prayer in the face of such facelessness: "Surely, someone was praying. And the prayer / Stuck the blank face of the earth, the ocean's face, / The rockhard, rippled face of facelessness." The repetition of "face" emphasizes the impersonal and indifferent nature of the natural world. The prayer, despite its fervency, seems to meet an unresponsive and unyielding reality. The "rockhard, rippled face of facelessness" suggests an insurmountable barrier between human supplication and divine intervention, underscoring the helplessness and isolation felt in moments of crisis.

In "Unholy Sonnet: 9," Mark Jarman masterfully captures the tension between faith and despair, highlighting the often futile nature of prayer in the face of unimaginable disasters. Through vivid and harrowing imagery, the poem invites readers to reflect on the persistence of human hope and the profound sense of helplessness that accompanies catastrophic events. The sonnet serves as a powerful meditation on the limits of faith and the enduring struggle to find meaning in the midst of chaos.

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