Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Albert Goldbarth’s poem "Because It Happened" is a poignant exploration of human grief and the repetitive nature of sorrow and joy throughout history. The poem weaves together moments of deep personal and historical anguish with scenes of everyday life, highlighting the interconnectedness of human experiences across time.

The poem begins with the visceral image of a seven-year-old boy's death-cry, which embodies a profound yearning to remain connected to the world. This moment is not just a singular, isolated incident but a representation of a universal experience. The boy's suffering and his mother's desperate concentration are described with a timeless quality, suggesting that this scene has been, and will be, replayed countless times throughout human history.

Goldbarth then transports the reader to different historical and geographical contexts, showing how this archetype of grief repeats itself. In an ancient sea-kingdom, a mother bends over her dying child in a room decorated with wave-like spirals. This image is echoed in another scene set nearly 2,000 years ago in the Celestial Mountains, where a paternal scream accompanies the burial of a three-month-old. The universality of grief is further emphasized with a scene from a Russian shtetl in 1910, where a sister feeds her dying sister for the last time.

Amid these sorrowful vignettes, Goldbarth introduces the contrasting image of a wedding celebration. The repetitive nature of human joy is paralleled with that of grief. The oil lamps being lit and the wedding revelers dancing mirror the constancy of human rituals and the resilience of life.

The poem then shifts to a contemporary setting, a rib joint called Bönz, where the speaker sits with his mother and aunts. Their conversation is filled with the mundane details and family history that weave together the fabric of their lives. Through their dialogue, the reader is reminded of the continuity of family narratives and the way personal history is carried forward through generations. The conversation about asking for more rolls and the mention of a light-hearted restaurant experience juxtaposes the earlier scenes of intense sorrow.

The speaker’s mother shares a poignant memory of her childhood friend Fay offering a doll's paper box to use as a coffin for her infant brother. This act of innocent generosity in the face of profound loss captures the essence of human compassion and the ways we try to cope with grief, even in the simplest gestures.

The poem concludes with the image of a harpist in the restaurant tracing the shape of a chambered nautilus, symbolizing the cyclical nature of life and the continuous spiral of human experience. This final image ties together the various threads of the poem, suggesting that, despite the individual moments of joy and sorrow, we are all part of a larger, ongoing narrative.

"Because It Happened" is a meditation on the enduring nature of human emotions and the ways we connect with each other through shared experiences of loss and celebration. Goldbarth’s use of historical and personal anecdotes, along with vivid, almost tactile imagery, creates a rich tapestry that speaks to the resilience and continuity of the human spirit.

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