Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"The Survival Variation" by Stephen Dobyns presents an evocative exploration of the relationship between man and nature, articulated through a vivid depiction of the forest as a living entity teeming with a sense of both menace and companionship. The poem navigates the tensions between survival, isolation, and the pervasive influence of an unseen adversary, creating a compelling narrative of existential struggle and adaptation.

Dobyns begins by transforming the natural elements of the forest into urban and human-like characteristics. Trees become "apartment buildings, closed and boarded over," suggesting a sense of abandonment and decay, but also protection and enclosure. The deer paths are likened to "highways," emphasizing their role as conduits through the dense and chaotic wilderness. Mushrooms, berries, and herbs are compared to crowds, infusing the forest floor with the vitality and diversity of a bustling city. This anthropomorphism not only blurs the line between the natural world and human civilization but also enhances the sense of the forest as a living, breathing entity.

The imagery of blades of grass as "small individuals" underscores the theme of survival and the struggle against the overwhelming forces of nature. The speaker’s act of walking over them symbolizes both dominance and disregard, a necessary callousness for survival. The stones that "bear my given names" personalize the environment, suggesting a deep, almost mystical connection with the land, which has become part of the speaker’s identity.

Dobyns crafts a complex relationship between the speaker and the forest, which is personified as both companion and adversary. The forest is described as keeping the speaker’s thoughts, a "dark disintegrating green," which implies a mixture of refuge and disintegration, a place where thoughts and fears are absorbed but also possibly corrupted or dissolved. The forest is a "home to be shared with an enemy," highlighting the dual nature of the environment as both shelter and source of conflict.

This enemy, "the undoer of the perfectly planned undone," represents chaos and unpredictability, perhaps nature’s inherent indomitability or a psychological projection of the speaker’s inner turmoil. The enemy’s actions—changing paths, erecting new signs—suggest a constant reshaping of reality, a landscape that is never static but always shifting, defying the speaker’s attempts to impose order or predictability.

The poem takes a darker turn as the speaker describes waking to find everything "shakes with his laughter." This eerie laughter conveys a sense of mockery or disdain, emphasizing the powerlessness of the speaker in the face of nature’s capriciousness or the enemy’s maneuvers. It is a reminder of the precariousness of the speaker’s existence within this "homemade city," a creation that is perpetually at risk of being unmade by forces beyond his control.

"The Survival Variation" delves into themes of solitude, survival, and the fraught interaction between man and the environment. Dobyns uses the forest as a metaphor for life’s complexities, challenges, and the ever-present tension between creation and destruction. The poem is a meditation on the ways in which we navigate our surroundings, forge connections, and confront the forces that threaten to undermine our sense of control and stability. Through vivid imagery and potent symbolism, Dobyns captures the essence of human vulnerability and resilience in the face of the inexorable cycles of nature and existence.

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