Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Marge Piercy’s poem "In the Grip of the Solstice" captures the profound impact of the winter solstice on human experience, intertwining vivid imagery with reflections on survival and intimacy during the darkest days of the year. The poem’s rich descriptions and emotive language evoke the physical and psychological effects of winter, drawing connections between the natural world and human behavior.

The poem opens with a powerful simile: "Feels like a train roaring into night, / the journey into fierce cold just beginning." This comparison to a train evokes a sense of unstoppable momentum and inevitability. The "journey into fierce cold" suggests a transition into a harsh and challenging period, setting the tone for the poem’s exploration of winter’s grip. The newly frozen ground, described as "brittle and fancy with striations, / steeples and nipples we break / under our feet," introduces a tactile and fragile landscape, emphasizing the delicate and treacherous nature of the winter environment.

Piercy continues to portray the encroaching darkness with a sense of urgency: "Every day we are shortchanged a bit more, / night pressing down on the afternoon / throttling it." The imagery of night "pressing down" and "throttling" the afternoon conveys a feeling of oppression and suffocation, as daylight diminishes rapidly. The comparison of the shrinking days to an "old candle you beg to give / an hour’s more light" evokes a sense of desperation and the yearning for light in the midst of growing darkness.

The poem’s midsection delves deeper into the existential impact of winter: "Feels like hurtling into vast darkness, / the sky itself whistling of space / the black matter between stars / the red shift as the light dies." This passage highlights the cosmic scale of winter’s darkness, linking the terrestrial experience with the vastness of space. The "red shift as the light dies" references a scientific phenomenon, enhancing the sense of an inexorable decline into cold and darkness. The mention of "warmth a temporary aberration, / entropy as a season" introduces a scientific and philosophical dimension, suggesting that the cold and darkness are natural states, while warmth is fleeting and fragile.

Piercy then draws on ancestral knowledge and rituals to cope with the fear and isolation brought by winter: "Our ancestors understood the brute / fear that grips us as the cold / settles around us, closing in." This acknowledgment of shared human experience across generations underscores the universality of the winter struggle. The instructions to "Light the logs in the fireplace tonight, / light the candles, first one, then two, / the full chanukiya" invoke traditional practices of creating light and warmth, emphasizing the importance of ritual in overcoming the season’s hardships.

The poem’s practical advice—"Light the fire in the belly. / Eat hot soup, cabbage and beef / borscht, chicken soup, lamb / and barley, stoke the marrow"—connects physical nourishment with emotional resilience. The switch from white wine to whiskey suggests a need for stronger sustenance to endure the cold. This section reinforces the idea that survival in winter requires both physical and mental fortitude.

The concluding lines return to the theme of human connection as a source of warmth and comfort: "We reach for each other in our bed, / the night vaulted above us / like a cave. Night in the afternoon, / cold frosting the glass so it hurts / to touch it, only flesh still / welcoming to flesh." The image of the night as a cave above the bed creates a sense of enclosure and intimacy. The description of the cold glass hurting to touch contrasts sharply with the warmth of human contact, emphasizing the necessity of physical closeness in overcoming winter’s chill.

"In the Grip of the Solstice" by Marge Piercy is a compelling meditation on the challenges and rituals of winter. Through vivid imagery and a blend of personal and universal reflections, Piercy captures the deep impact of the solstice on the human psyche and body. The poem’s structure, moving from the harsh realities of the natural world to the comforting rituals and human connections, mirrors the journey from darkness to light, offering a powerful reminder of resilience and the enduring power of warmth and togetherness.

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