Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Denise Levertov's poem "During the Eichmann Trial: 1. When We Look Up" confronts the harrowing themes of obedience, complicity, and the shared human condition through the lens of Adolf Eichmann's trial. Levertov employs powerful imagery and reflective language to explore the moral and existential questions raised by Eichmann's actions and the broader implications for humanity.

The poem begins with an epigraph, "When we look up each from his being," attributed to Robert Duncan, setting a contemplative tone. It invites readers to reflect on their own existence and moral responsibilities. This notion of self-examination is critical as the poem unfolds.

Levertov addresses Eichmann directly, describing him as a "pitiful man whom none / pity, whom all / must pity if they look into their own face." This paradoxical sentiment emphasizes the complex interplay between condemnation and empathy. Eichmann, a key architect of the Holocaust, is depicted as deserving of pity not for his actions but for his profound moral blindness. The reference to looking into one's own face in reflective surfaces like "glass, steel, water" suggests that confronting Eichmann's actions requires introspection and recognition of one's potential for similar failings.

The poem questions the nature of identity and recognition: "How many faces? / How many / seen in a lifetime?" Levertov contrasts fleeting encounters with deeper engagements where "the gaze wanders and is lost / and returns to tell Here is a mystery, / a person, an other, an I?" This inquiry into the essence of human connection underscores the tragedy of dehumanization—how millions of individuals, represented by "five million," were reduced to numbers and stripped of their personhood.

Eichmann's defense of "obedience all my life" reveals his unthinking compliance with authority, described as "Corpselike / obedience." The imagery of "yellow calmed him later" evokes both the mundane and the sinister, symbolizing his detachment from the atrocities he oversaw. The poem juxtaposes the serene "yellow of autumn leaves" with the horrific "yellow of the stars," the badges Jews were forced to wear. This stark contrast highlights the dissonance between Eichmann's ordinary memories and the extraordinary crimes he facilitated.

Levertov delves into Eichmann's rationalizations, questioning the impact and futility of potential disobedience: "'And what would disobedience have brought me? And / whom would it have served?'" His lack of introspection is captured in his admission, "I did not let my thoughts dwell on this—I had seen it and that was / enough." This abdication of moral responsibility underscores the chilling ease with which he conformed to the genocidal regime.

The poem vividly describes the violence Eichmann witnessed: "'A spring of blood gushed from the earth.'" This grotesque image symbolizes the overwhelming horror that even the earth itself struggles to contain. The "fountain / rushes towards the sky unrecognized" suggests an unacknowledged or ignored sign of the atrocities' magnitude. The reference to this "unsung" miracle reflects society's failure to comprehend or respond adequately to such evil.

Eichmann's isolation in a "bulletproof witness-stand of glass, / a cage," serves as a metaphor for his detachment and the moral blindness that enabled his actions. Levertov transforms this glass cage into a mirror for society, suggesting that Eichmann's trial is not only about his guilt but also about our collective moral accountability: "we may view ourselves, an apparition / telling us something he / does not know: we are members / one of another." This closing assertion of interconnectedness challenges readers to recognize their shared humanity and the implications of their actions or inactions.

"During the Eichmann Trial: 1. When We Look Up" by Denise Levertov is a powerful meditation on the nature of obedience, moral responsibility, and the necessity of empathy. Through her evocative imagery and reflective tone, Levertov compels readers to confront the uncomfortable truths about human nature and the importance of acknowledging our interconnectedness in the face of atrocity.

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