Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Marge Piercy's poem "Snowflakes, My Mother Called Them" is a touching reflection on the ephemeral nature of memories and traditions, and how they can be unexpectedly revived. Through the metaphor of papercuts, the poem explores themes of heritage, loss, and the enduring impact of family traditions.

The poem begins with a simple, yet evocative recollection: "Snowflakes, my mother called them. / My grandmother made papercuts until she was too blind to see the intricate birds, trees, Mogen Davids, moons, flowers that appeared like magic when the folded paper was opened." The image of the grandmother's intricate papercuts symbolizes the artistry and care she invested in her creations, transforming ordinary paper into something beautiful and intricate. The mention of various symbols like birds, trees, and Mogen Davids (Stars of David) connects these papercuts to cultural and religious heritage.

As the poem continues, the speaker contrasts the grandmother's detailed work with the simpler papercuts made by the mother: "My mother made simpler ones, abstract. She never saved them. / Not hers, not mine. / It was a winter game." This distinction highlights a generational shift in the practice of this tradition, where the mother's approach is less meticulous and less inclined to preservation. The act of making papercuts becomes a transient activity, a way to pass time during winter rather than a cherished tradition.

The poem further emphasizes the humble materials used for these papercuts: "Usually we had only newsprint to play with. Sometimes we used old wrapping paper, white sheets from the bakery." The use of everyday, discarded materials underscores the resourcefulness and simplicity of the tradition, which contrasts with the intricate and meaningful designs created by the grandmother.

A vivid memory surfaces as the speaker recalls how the grandmother displayed her papercuts: "Often Grandma tacked hers to the walls or on the window that looked on the street, the east window where the sun rose hidden behind tenements where she faced to pray." This act of displaying the papercuts connects the creations to the grandmother's daily life and her spiritual practices, embedding them deeply into the fabric of her existence.

The speaker reminisces about a specific papercut: "I remember one with deer, delicate hooves, fine antlers for Pesach. Her animals were always in pairs, the rabbits, the cats, always cats in pairs, little mice, but never horses, for horses meant pogrom, the twice widowed woman's sense of how things should be, even trees by twos for company." The pairs of animals symbolize companionship and safety, reflecting the grandmother's worldview shaped by her experiences of loss and survival. The exclusion of horses, associated with violence and pogroms, reveals the deeper, sometimes painful meanings embedded in her art.

The poem concludes with the speaker's rediscovery of this lost tradition: "I had forgotten. I had lost it all until a woman sent me a papercut to thank me for a poem, and then in my hand I felt a piece of past materialize, a snowflake long melted, evaporated, cohering and once again tower-necked fragile deer stood, made of skill and absence." This moment of receiving a papercut as a gift triggers a flood of memories, bringing the past into the present. The "snowflake long melted" symbolizes the transient nature of these memories, now revived and made tangible once more. The "tower-necked fragile deer" stands as a testament to the enduring impact of the grandmother's skill and the absence it left behind.

"Snowflakes, My Mother Called Them" by Marge Piercy is a poignant exploration of how family traditions and memories can be preserved and rediscovered. Through the metaphor of papercuts, Piercy captures the delicate balance between loss and remembrance, highlighting the ways in which art and heritage can bridge the gap between past and present.

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