Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Alicia Suskin Ostriker's poem "The Russian Army Goes Into Baku" juxtaposes the serene, rejuvenating qualities of spring with the underlying tension and violence implied by the poem's title. The poem draws on the imagery of nature and personal experience to explore the complex relationship between renewal, conflict, and the human condition.

The poem opens with a vivid description of the natural world in May: "The trees of May are green, / Full of themselves, wetter each dawn." This opening line captures the lushness and vitality of spring, a season traditionally associated with growth and renewal. The image of trees "full of themselves" conveys a sense of abundance and confidence in nature's cycles, while the "morning stars sing" and "squirrels run," further enhancing the sense of life and energy that defines this time of year.

As the speaker continues to describe the scene, there is an emphasis on the burgeoning life around her: "Our bird feeders need daily refilling, the hot / Azaleas enhance their orange and fuchsia tints, / The rhododendrons puckered dryly inside / Their big buds begun to force themselves out." The detailed attention to the azaleas and rhododendrons, with their vibrant colors and budding flowers, reinforces the theme of natural renewal. The use of the word "force" to describe the buds opening suggests both the inevitable power of nature and a subtle tension, as if this growth is not entirely effortless.

The next stanza introduces a shift, both in tone and imagery: "Apple blossoms lie in shallow pools / At the feet of their trunks." This image of fallen blossoms hints at the transient nature of beauty and life, introducing a note of impermanence and melancholy. The blossoms, now lying in pools, evoke a sense of something once vibrant that has now succumbed to the relentless forces of nature.

This idea of relentlessness is echoed in the description of the rain: "All week relentless rain / Soaks the ground, beats the roofs, rat-tat / Races down the gutters." The rain, while cleansing and renewing, is also depicted as an unstoppable force, battering the world around it. The use of "rat-tat" conveys the incessant, almost militaristic rhythm of the rain, subtly alluding to the presence of violence or conflict, hinted at by the poem's title.

The speaker then imagines the rain falling into the Hudson River, splashing the yellow slickers of road crews, and even envisions herself as "farms and towns stretched out / The width of New Jersey and Pennsylvania / Flat on my back looking up at a gray sky." This expansive imagery connects the personal experience of the speaker with the broader landscape, suggesting a deep interconnectedness between the individual and the environment. The "gray sky" and "shifting grays" above indicate a sense of uncertainty and change, perhaps reflecting the unpredictable nature of both the weather and the broader world.

The final lines of the poem bring a surprising and intimate comparison: "I feel the rain batter me, how good it is, cleansing the air, / Pocking my skin -- / Good, good, like sex after childbirth / When the body is keen / For pleasure again." Here, the cleansing, almost purifying effect of the rain is likened to the intense, renewed pleasure that follows childbirth. This metaphor powerfully connects the natural world's cycles of renewal and cleansing with the personal experience of physical and emotional rejuvenation after a profound event like childbirth. The comparison suggests that just as the body can recover and crave pleasure after the pain and labor of childbirth, the land and the soul can also find renewal and pleasure after periods of turmoil.

The title, "The Russian Army Goes Into Baku," looms over the poem, casting a shadow of historical and political violence that contrasts with the natural and personal imagery within the verses. Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, has been a site of conflict and invasion, most notably during the Russian Civil War and later under Soviet rule. The peaceful, nurturing imagery of the poem may be read as an ironic counterpoint to the brutal reality of military invasions and the suffering they bring.

In essence, the poem seems to explore the tension between the natural world's cyclical processes of destruction and renewal and the harsh, often destructive nature of human conflict. While the poem never directly addresses the events in Baku, the juxtaposition of the title with the poem’s content invites readers to consider how life continues and renews itself even in the shadow of violence and war. The final comparison to sex after childbirth underscores the idea that after every cycle of pain and struggle, there is the potential for healing, renewal, and even joy.

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