Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Sweet" by Linda Gregerson explores themes of compassion, the harsh realities of the world, and the natural instinct for survival. Through a conversation between the speaker and another character about the events of 9/11, the poem juxtaposes human suffering with the instinctive behaviors of a possum, creating a rich tapestry of reflections on human nature, privilege, and the struggle for existence.

The poem opens with a poignant reaction from the speaker’s mother to the fall of the Twin Towers on 9/11: "We cannot continue to live in a world where we / have so much / and other people have so little." This statement is met with a gentle correction, suggesting that her sentiment, while sweet, is naive: "Sweet, he said. / Your mother's wrong but sweet, the world / has never self-corrected, you Americans break my heart." This dialogue sets up a contrast between idealistic empathy and a more cynical view of the world’s unchanging nature.

Gregerson then shifts focus to a possum, symbolizing resilience and adaptability in the face of adversity: "Our possum - she must be hungry or she wouldn't venture out in so / much daylight - has found / a way to maneuver on top of the snow." The possum's struggle to navigate the thin crust of snow mirrors human efforts to survive in an indifferent world. The mention of the possum's double-wombed nature ("Di- / delphus, 'double-wombed,' which is to say, our one marsupial") underscores themes of protection and the cycle of life.

The possum's maternal behavior is depicted with a mix of admiration and pathos: "the shelter then / the early birth, then shelter perforce again... the part / where she ferries the juveniles on her back. / Another pair of eyes above / her shoulder." This imagery evokes the tender yet arduous task of caregiving, highlighting the instinctive drive to protect and nurture the young.

The poem returns to the human context, reflecting on principles at work when confronting a world of harm: "beholding a world of harm, the mind / will apprehend some bringer-of-harm, some cause, or course, / that might have been otherwise, had we possessed / the wit to see." Here, Gregerson touches on the human tendency to seek explanations and assign blame, contrasting this with the more straightforward survival instincts of the possum.

In the concluding lines, Gregerson reflects on her mother's compassionate but possibly misguided worldview: "My mother's mistake, if that's the best the world-as-we've-made-it can make of her, hasn't / much altered with better advice. It's wholly premise, rather like the crusted snow." The snow serves as a metaphor for the thin, fragile layer of civilization and empathy that overlays a harsher reality, suggesting that while compassion is essential, it may not be sufficient to change the fundamental nature of the world.

"Sweet" by Linda Gregerson intricately weaves together themes of empathy, survival, and the harshness of reality. Through vivid imagery and poignant reflections, the poem invites readers to consider the complexities of human nature and the instinctual drive to survive in a world that often seems indifferent to suffering.

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