Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Pollution" by Denise Duhamel is a poignant and reflective poem that examines the speaker’s evolving understanding and experiences of environmental pollution from childhood through adulthood. Through personal anecdotes, Duhamel explores broader themes of innocence, responsibility, and the irreversible impact of human actions on nature.

The poem begins with a childhood memory at Hampton Beach, where an experience of feeling unusually warm urine leads to a vivid and childlike imagination of smoke rising between the speaker’s legs. This moment encapsulates a child's interpretation of natural phenomena, untainted by scientific understanding but rich in imaginative explanation. The mother's response, focused on enforcing rules rather than explaining the science behind the sensation, hints at the generational gaps in understanding and addressing environmental issues.

Duhamel transitions from this personal anecdote to a more alarming example of environmental degradation—the pollution of a river in Yugoslavia that has become so contaminated it can no longer be used even for industrial purposes like cooling machinery. This stark contrast between the innocence of a child’s misunderstanding and the harsh realities of industrial pollution underscores the severity of environmental neglect and the dire consequences of human activities.

Reflecting on her past, the speaker admits to once polluting a local pond during adolescence, a confession that marks a shift from innocence to complicity. The imagery of swimming away from a "hot pocket" of her own urine in the pond juxtaposes her earlier innocence with a growing awareness and guilt over her contributions to pollution. This local pond, filled with trash and contaminants, serves as a microcosm for the larger environmental issues presented in the poem.

Duhamel further explores the theme of pollution through the consequences of these actions, such as the potential for an eye infection from the contaminated water and the imagined fish choking on a Band-Aid. These scenarios highlight the direct and often overlooked effects of human negligence on wildlife and personal health.

The poem concludes with a reflection on the language and awareness surrounding environmental issues. Terms like "litterbug" were common, yet more scientific terms such as "carcinogenic" or "toxin" were out of reach for the speaker and her mother, indicating a lack of broader environmental awareness at the time. This lack of knowledge is contrasted with the ongoing degradation of the environment, metaphorically described as the world "damning its own baptism" and cultivating "tempting orchards of mutant delicious ultraviolet apples." This imagery suggests humanity's paradoxical desire for progress and prosperity, even at the cost of creating a polluted and potentially harmful environment.

Overall, "Pollution" is a deeply introspective and critical poem that uses personal narrative to highlight the impact of environmental pollution. Duhamel effectively bridges personal experiences with global environmental issues, challenging the reader to consider their own role in contributing to or combating the ongoing threat of pollution. The poem is a call to awareness and responsibility, urging a reconsideration of how we interact with and impact our natural surroundings.

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