Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Alicia Suskin Ostriker’s "Surviving" is an expansive and emotionally charged poem that delves into the complexities of endurance, particularly from the perspective of women who have faced various forms of struggle and marginalization throughout history. The poem weaves together personal reflection, historical narrative, and a meditation on the artistic process, highlighting the often unseen and uncelebrated resilience required to simply survive in a world that can be both hostile and indifferent. Through its layered structure and poignant imagery, Ostriker captures the deep sense of grief, frustration, and fierce determination that characterizes the act of survival.

The poem opens with a stark and unsettling assertion: "It is true that in this century / To survive is to be ashamed." This statement sets the tone for the exploration of survival as an experience marked by shame and guilt, a feeling that one has persisted while others have not, and perhaps, that survival itself involves compromising or bearing witness to terrible things. The imagery of the "policeman's club" cracking "A person's head like a honey-melon" and letting "Human life spill like seeds" evokes the brutality and senseless violence that characterize the modern world, where life can be extinguished casually and with little regard. The desire to "go up / In milky smoke like a promise" suggests a yearning for escape, for dissolution into something purer or more abstract than the painful realities of physical existence.

The poem then shifts to address the unique burdens placed on women, noting that "if we're women it's worse." The "lost ones" who "Leach our strength even when we are dancing" serve as a haunting reminder of the collective trauma carried by women, particularly those who have been silenced or erased by history. The "nameless / Weariness" that pervades even moments of work or joy speaks to the pervasive exhaustion that accompanies survival, an exhaustion that is compounded by the societal pressures and expectations placed on women. The image of the "mule in a dusty ditch / The cart shattered into boards" is a powerful metaphor for the brokenness that often accompanies the struggle to keep going, to pull oneself onward despite overwhelming odds.

Ostriker then reflects on the tragic fate of women artists and thinkers who died in childbirth, a recurrent theme that highlights the intersection of creativity and mortality. The speaker’s reaction—wanting to "topple over / Sobbing, tearing my clothing"—is a visceral expression of grief and anger at the loss of potential, the waste of lives that could have contributed so much more to the world. This section underscores the idea that survival is not just about enduring physical existence but also about navigating the societal and biological forces that constrain and sometimes extinguish women’s lives.

The poem includes a quotation from Paula Modersohn-Becker, an early 20th-century painter, who expresses a desire to feel proud of her identity as an artist. Modersohn-Becker’s work, influenced by Cézanne and marked by its raw, experimental qualities, serves as an example of the resilience and courage required to pursue artistic creation in a world that often devalues or dismisses women’s contributions. The description of her paintings—"a peasant woman's hands / As strong as planks," "A coarse canvas of an orange, a lemon"—captures the earthiness and solidity of her work, as well as its connection to the everyday realities of life.

Ostriker juxtaposes Modersohn-Becker’s artistic achievements with the broader context of women’s lives, drawing attention to the tension between personal fulfillment and societal expectations. The painter’s resistance to marriage and her wish to remain in Paris as a modernist artist reflect the struggle for autonomy and self-determination, a struggle that is often at odds with traditional gender roles. The speaker’s journey through the gallery, viewing the paintings and reflecting on the artist’s life, becomes a meditation on the ways in which women navigate the dual pressures of creativity and conformity.

As the poem progresses, it becomes clear that language itself can be a form of malice, a tool that reduces vibrant lives and experiences to "dead thing[s]" covered over with "thin blanket[s]." This reductionist tendency of language is contrasted with the vivid, enduring power of the paintings, which are described as "survivors / Without malice." The paintings, unlike language, retain their vitality and continue to communicate across time, offering a form of survival that transcends the limitations of words.

In the later sections of the poem, Ostriker shifts focus to the personal, reflecting on the speaker’s relationship with her mother. The mother’s anecdotes about bargains at the grocery store and past struggles during the speaker’s infancy reveal the resilience and resourcefulness required to survive in the everyday world. The mother’s constant talking, her refusal to be silenced, can be seen as a form of survival in itself, a way of asserting presence and significance in a world that often overlooks the voices of women, particularly older women.

The poem closes with a reflection on the generational transmission of unrealized potential and lost dreams. The speaker’s mother, who "should have been a writer," and her grandmother, who "should have been a singer," represent the thwarted ambitions of countless women whose talents were stifled by societal constraints. The mother's repeated phrase, "She lost the bloom of her youth in the factories," serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by previous generations, sacrifices that have shaped the lives of those who follow.

"Surviving" is a powerful exploration of the complexities of endurance, particularly for women who have had to navigate a world that is often indifferent or hostile to their existence. Through its rich imagery and interweaving of personal and historical narratives, the poem captures the deep sense of loss, frustration, and resilience that characterizes the act of survival. Ostriker’s poem is both a lament for what has been lost and a celebration of the strength required to persist, offering a nuanced and deeply empathetic portrayal of the challenges and triumphs of surviving in a difficult world.

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