Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Robert Pinsky’s "In Berkeley" is a poem steeped in reflection on identity, transformation, and the tension between tradition and modernity. Through vivid imagery and a contemplative tone, Pinsky explores the complexities of cultural assimilation, the inheritance of language and values, and the ways in which we navigate our inherited and adopted identities.

The poem opens with a striking image: "Afternoon light like pollen." This simile sets the tone for the rest of the poem, suggesting something that is both pervasive and subtly transformative. Pollen, as a metaphor, carries connotations of growth, fertility, and the spread of influence—ideas that resonate throughout the poem as Pinsky considers the transmission of culture, language, and beliefs across generations and geographies.

Pinsky immediately establishes a contrast between the speaker’s current experience and the past: "This is my language, not the one I learned." This line encapsulates the central tension of the poem—the difference between the language (and, by extension, the culture) that the speaker has inherited and the one that he has adopted or that has been imposed upon him. The phrase "we hungry generations" reflects a sense of dissatisfaction and yearning for something more, something different from the past. The rhetorical question, "Did you think we wanted / To be like you?" challenges the expectations of previous generations, suggesting a desire to break away from traditional roles and identities.

The poem's imagery is rich and varied, moving fluidly between different scenes in Berkeley, California, a place that itself symbolizes a convergence of cultures and ideas. The speaker describes himself "picking through rubbish / To salvage your half-eaten muffin," an act that seems to represent a search for meaning or sustenance in the remnants of the past. The reference to "a rill of scab" at the ear introduces a visceral, bodily element, reminding the reader of the physicality of experience and the wounds—both literal and metaphorical—that come with transformation.

The natural world in Berkeley, with its "olive and silver / Leaves like dusty sickles" and "eucalyptus" trees, provides a backdrop that contrasts with the speaker's internal struggle. These images of nature are not static; they "whisper" to the hillsides, conveying a sense of communication and movement. The question "Did you think / We wanted to be like you?" is repeated, emphasizing the speaker's ambivalence toward the past and the expectations that come with it.

Pinsky delves into the theme of change and decay with the image of "the tall flourishers, not what they were," which could refer to both the natural landscape and the people who inhabit it. The act of "leaving a signature of piss" on the eucalyptus suggests a claim of territory, a rejection of the old in favor of the new, even if it is marked by something as crude as urine. The "feathery stalks of fennel" growing "in the fissured pavement" further symbolize resilience and the ability to thrive in harsh, unnatural environments—an apt metaphor for cultural adaptation and survival.

The poem also touches on religious and cultural transformation, as seen in the description of a Sufi mother and child emerging from a mosque. The mother, dressed in white, is a striking figure, her appearance both otherworldly and rooted in specific cultural practices. The speaker speculates on her past—was she once "a Debbie or June," perhaps a Jewish or non-Muslim girl from a more traditional American background? The idea of conversion and the changes it brings is a recurring theme, as seen in the reference to "Malcolm’s brother" who, like Saul becoming Paul, undergoes a profound transformation.

Pinsky does not shy away from the pain and alienation that can accompany such transformations. The demonstrator shouting at an elderly professor, "Old man--why don’t you die?" reflects the anger and impatience of a younger generation eager to break free from the past. This moment is juxtaposed with the speaker’s personal admission: "Forgive me little mother that I will savor / The flesh of pigs," a line that captures the speaker’s internal conflict between inherited religious teachings and his current life choices.

The poem ends with a powerful statement: "We have forgotten / The Torah and the Koran," acknowledging the loss of religious and cultural traditions in the face of modernity. Yet, this forgetting is also a form of liberation, as the speaker and his generation take up "harvesting knives" to "sweat / Gathering the herbs of transformation." The final line, "This / Is my language, not the one I learned," reiterates the theme of adopting and adapting new identities, new ways of speaking, and new ways of being in the world.

"In Berkeley" is a meditation on the complexities of identity in a world where cultural and personal transformations are inevitable. Pinsky captures the ambivalence of living between worlds, between the old and the new, the inherited and the chosen, and the pain and beauty that come with navigating these tensions. The poem is both a celebration of the possibility of change and a poignant reflection on the costs of leaving the past behind.

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