Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Alicia Suskin Ostriker's poem "Holocaust" is a searing examination of humanity’s deep-seated attraction to violence and destruction, using the metaphor of fire to explore both historical and psychological dimensions of atrocity. The poem confronts the reader with the disturbing reality that acts of mass violence, like the Holocaust, are not aberrations but expressions of an enduring and primal human impulse. Ostriker’s use of religious and historical references, combined with vivid imagery, creates a powerful critique of the seductive nature of violence and the persistence of this dark aspect of human nature throughout history.

The poem begins with a stark and unsettling statement: "And about burning people---," immediately drawing the reader into the horror of human violence. This opening line sets the tone for the poem, which is a meditation on the historical and ongoing acts of mass destruction, particularly those that involve burning, both literal and metaphorical. The reference to "the old / Old masters" in lines 2-3 invokes a tradition of artists and thinkers who have recognized and depicted the horrors of violence, suggesting that the understanding of this phenomenon is ancient and well-documented.

Ostriker’s assertion that "it never stopped, it is done all the time" (line 4) underscores the continuity of violence across history, implying that these acts are not isolated but part of a recurring pattern in human behavior. The poem then delves into the unsettling idea that there is "an absolute / Seductiveness, a classic primal urge" (lines 5-6) to commit acts of violence. This notion challenges the reader to confront the uncomfortable truth that violence can be alluring, a part of human nature that is as old as civilization itself.

The poem’s invocation of religious and historical figures who were martyred or burned—"Oh Jephthah's daughter, ah Joan, / Oh Jews and Protestants, ah Sir Thomas More, / Oh Giordano Bruno, ah heretics, witches, fanatics---" (lines 8-10)—serves to remind us that the impulse to destroy those who are different or who challenge the status quo has been justified through religion and ideology for centuries. By listing these figures, Ostriker connects the Holocaust to a broader historical context of persecution and violence, suggesting that the events of World War II were not an isolated horror but part of a long continuum.

The poem’s shift to the American South with "Scent of magnolia sweet and fresh / In the Carolina woods, a splash of gasoline / And the sudden smell of burning flesh" (lines 11-13) invokes the lynchings of Black people in the United States, drawing a direct parallel between the Holocaust and the racial violence perpetrated in America. The juxtaposition of the "sweet and fresh" magnolia with the "sudden smell of burning flesh" highlights the grotesque contrast between the beauty of the natural world and the brutality of human actions.

Ostriker continues to weave together historical references with a meditation on the psychological dimensions of violence, describing how "Men stroking themselves / Eyes half shut, women aroused" (lines 18-19), which suggests a disturbing eroticization of violence. This imagery implies that the excitement and arousal some people feel in the presence of violence are not only physical but deeply ingrained in the human psyche, tracing back to early experiences of excitement and fear: "You as a child first feeling that excitement / At the cave mouth---" (lines 20-21). The reference to the cave mouth evokes primal, prehistoric times, suggesting that the roots of this attraction to violence are ancient and fundamental.

The poem culminates in the image of "Two hard fires ablaze in your two eyes / And they never go out---" (lines 29-30), symbolizing the internalization of violence. These "mean little fires" (line 31) are described as both "Satan's toys" and "God's flames" (lines 32-33), reflecting the dual nature of fire as both destructive and divine, a force of both evil and purification. The final lines of the poem, "A rapid, persistent / Chemical / Reaction" (lines 34-36), reduce the complex emotions and ideologies surrounding violence to a simple, unrelenting process, underscoring the inevitability and persistence of this destructive impulse.

"Holocaust" is a haunting exploration of the human capacity for violence and the ways in which it has been perpetuated and justified throughout history. Through powerful imagery and allusions, Ostriker forces the reader to confront the uncomfortable truth that the impulse to destroy is deeply rooted in human nature, challenging the notion that such acts are purely the result of external circumstances or isolated events. The poem serves as both a reflection on the horrors of the past and a warning about the potential for such violence to continue in the future, urging us to recognize and resist the seductive pull of destruction.

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