Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Eleanor Wilner's "Iphigenia, Setting the Record Straight" provides a compelling reinterpretation of the classical myth of Iphigenia, weaving together themes of power, trade, and personal agency. In this poem, Wilner reimagines Iphigenia’s fate, giving her a voice to challenge and subvert the traditional narrative of her sacrifice. Through this powerful retelling, the poem addresses the intersection of mythology, gender, and historical narrative, offering a critique of how stories are constructed and who gets to tell them.

The poem begins with an evocative image of "shimmering towers," which symbolize the distant, unattainable power and wealth that motivated the Trojan War. This war, as the poem suggests, was driven by a desire for control over trade routes and the acquisition of wealth, metaphorically referred to as "the gold that men called Helen." The conflation of Helen with material wealth underscores the commodification of women in both myth and history, as well as the ways in which their stories are often manipulated to serve the interests of powerful men.

Wilner’s Iphigenia reflects on the motivations behind the war, describing it as "the oldest of adulteries: trade / and art." Here, the adulterous act is not just Paris's seduction of Helen, but the broader betrayal of human values in pursuit of material gain. Iphigenia’s fate is tied to these broader machinations, as she was supposed to be the sacrificial lamb to "fill their sails" and ensure the Greek fleet could reach Troy.

However, Wilner subverts the traditional narrative by suggesting that Helen never actually went to Troy. Instead, "the echo / of the rustle of her robes / went with Paris to the high-walled town." This revisionist take highlights the idea that the true Helen remained in Greece, and that the war was fought over an illusion, a mere shadow of the woman. Iphigenia stays behind with Helen, who is described as her "aunt and friend," and provides care for her during her illness. This domestic detail adds depth to the characters, moving beyond their mythological roles to portray them as individuals with personal relationships and struggles.

Iphigenia's eventual escape from her supposed fate further challenges the traditional myth. Rather than being sacrificed by her father Agamemnon, she hides in the shrine of Athena, listening to the goddess's restless pacing, a metaphor for the end of the Bronze Age and the turmoil that accompanies it. The poem implies that Iphigenia witnessed the downfall of the old heroic values and the rise of a new era.

In this retelling, Iphigenia not only survives but also finds a new life in anonymity, living quietly in a village, raising goats and making cheese and wine. She reflects on how the story of her sacrifice has been mythologized, her father's creation of a heroic narrative to justify his actions. The final lines, where she mentions "the me / my father made up in his mind / and sacrificed for wind," poignantly capture the distance between the myth and her lived reality. The "wind" symbolizes the empty promises and false justifications that drove the narrative of her sacrifice.

Wilner’s poem ultimately serves as a powerful critique of patriarchal narratives that exploit and erase the voices of women. By giving Iphigenia the agency to tell her own story, Wilner reclaims her from the margins of mythology and history, offering a narrative that acknowledges her strength, resilience, and humanity. This reinterpretation challenges readers to reconsider the stories they have been told and to recognize the power dynamics that shape historical and mythological narratives.

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