Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Simon J. Ortiz’s "There Should Be" is a stark reflection on violence, progress, and the consequences of human ambition. As an Acoma Pueblo poet, Ortiz often critiques the forces of colonialism, war, and industrialization, exposing their devastating impact on both Indigenous peoples and the natural world. In this poem, he calls for moments of true terror—experiences so profound they would force humanity to reconsider its trajectory. The poem unfolds as a confrontation, demanding an acknowledgment of those who have shaped the modern world through destruction rather than creation.

The opening lines—"There should be / moments of true terror / that would make men think"—immediately establish the poem’s provocative tone. Ortiz does not simply suggest that terror exists; he argues that it should exist, implying that only through shock and horror might people awaken to the consequences of their actions. The phrase "that would make men think" suggests that such reflection is absent, that society has failed to confront the realities of its history and present. The parallel line—"and that would cause women / to grab hold of children"—introduces a contrast between male intellectual reckoning and female instinctive protection. This gendered division underscores the stakes of the poem: while men, presumably the architects of destruction, must be forced to think, women, as caretakers of the future, instinctively shield their children. The concluding thought—"saving them / for the generations / who would enjoy the rain."—introduces the idea of generational survival, implying that despite destruction, there remains a hope for renewal, a future where nature’s simple blessings, like rain, can still be appreciated.

The second stanza shifts into a questioning tone: "Who are / these farmers, / who are these welders, / who are these scientists, / who are those soldiers / with cold flashing brilliance / and knives." The repetition of "who are these" creates a sense of accusation and bewilderment, as if the speaker is struggling to comprehend how seemingly ordinary roles—farmers, welders, scientists—can be implicated in a grander cycle of destruction. The inclusion of "soldiers / with cold flashing brilliance / and knives" introduces the presence of violence explicitly. The phrase "cold flashing brilliance" evokes both intelligence and lethal efficiency, suggesting that war and technological advancement have been intertwined. The juxtaposition of everyday professions with imagery of soldiers and knives highlights how violence is embedded within even the most practical aspects of human progress.

The next stanza escalates this critique: "Who struck aside / the sacred dawn / and was not ashamed / before the natural sun and dew." The imagery of the "sacred dawn" suggests a disruption of something pure, something that should have been revered. The mention of "not ashamed" implies that those responsible for destruction have acted without remorse, disregarding the moral and natural consequences of their actions. The reference to the "natural sun and dew" reinforces the idea that the world itself bears witness to human transgressions, yet these transgressors feel no shame before nature’s quiet judgment.

Ortiz then moves toward a more graphic indictment: "Artistically, / they splattered blood / along their mad progress." The use of "artistically" is particularly striking—it suggests that those responsible for violence have not only committed atrocities but have done so with precision, with an almost perverse sense of craftsmanship. The phrase "mad progress" encapsulates the poem’s central critique: that what is often termed progress is, in fact, a form of madness, driven by conquest and destruction rather than true advancement.

The subsequent lines—"they claimed the earth / and stole hearts and tongues / from buffalo and men,"—explicitly reference colonialism and the extermination of both Native peoples and the natural world. The act of "claiming the earth" recalls European expansion, land theft, and the erasure of Indigenous sovereignty. The phrase "stole hearts and tongues" is deeply evocative; it suggests not only physical violence but also cultural and linguistic erasure. The killing of buffalo, a crucial resource for many Native tribes, becomes a parallel to the dehumanization of Indigenous people. The loss of tongues signifies the suppression of Indigenous languages, reinforcing the idea that colonial violence extends beyond the physical into the destruction of identity and heritage.

The poem then introduces a final evolution of these figures: "the skilled / butchers, aerospace engineers, / physicists they became." This line underscores how those responsible for past violence have not disappeared but have instead adapted, transforming their skills into modern professions that continue to shape the world. The inclusion of "aerospace engineers" and "physicists" suggests that the same forces that once wielded knives now direct technological and scientific advancement—perhaps in the service of military-industrial complexes, nuclear weapons, or other forms of modern destruction. Ortiz challenges the reader to see a continuity between the past and present, between those who butchered and those who now design the instruments of war.

The final stanza offers an ambiguous resolution: "The future should hold them / secret, hidden and profound." This closing thought is deliberately cryptic. On one level, it may suggest that the perpetrators of violence should be buried in history, their actions remembered but their influence contained. On another level, it could imply that their presence will always remain, hidden but still shaping the world in profound ways. The use of "profound" hints at a deeper significance—that these figures, despite their destruction, are inseparable from the fate of humanity.

Ortiz’s free verse structure allows the poem’s accusations and reflections to unfold without constraint, mirroring the uncontrollable force of history itself. The lack of punctuation in key places creates a flowing, almost breathless rhythm, reinforcing the relentless nature of human destruction. The use of rhetorical questions invites the reader into the poem’s meditation, urging them to consider their own place in this history.

"There Should Be" is a stark critique of human ambition, exposing the dark underbelly of progress and innovation. Ortiz does not merely condemn soldiers or scientists; he implicates the entire trajectory of civilization, where conquest, industry, and war have become interwoven. The poem mourns what has been lost—land, language, identity—while acknowledging that the forces responsible for these losses remain embedded in the structures of the modern world. Ultimately, Ortiz challenges the reader to reckon with these histories, to confront the uncomfortable reality that progress has often come at an unfathomable cost.

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