Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Geoffrey Hill's "Genesis" is a profound and powerful exploration of creation, destruction, and redemption, framed within the context of Biblical creation. The poem's structure follows the days of creation as described in the Book of Genesis, but with Hill's unique and intense imagery that emphasizes the tension between the divine and the mortal, the spiritual and the corporeal.

In the first section, Hill evokes the majesty and raw power of the natural world. The speaker strides "Against the burly air," bringing the sea to bear upon the land. The imagery of the sea heaving its load and the rivers spawning their sand suggests a dynamic and forceful process of creation. The "tough pig-headed salmon" striving against the tides symbolizes resilience and determination, qualities that are essential in the natural world's struggle for survival.

The second section shifts focus to the violence inherent in nature. The osprey, a bird of prey, plunges with "triggered claw," leaving "Feathering blood along the shore." This vivid image highlights the predatory aspect of the natural world, where life and death are inextricably linked.

In the third section, Hill renounces the "fierce and unregenerate clay," turning instead to mythical creatures like the Leviathan and the albatross. These creatures embody a sense of the sublime and the eternal. The albatross, "glove-winged" and "brooding immortality," evokes the mystical and unchanging aspects of creation. The reference to the phoenix, a bird that burns and is reborn from its ashes, symbolizes the cyclical nature of life and death, and the potential for renewal.

The fourth section continues with the theme of mythical creatures, but the tone shifts to one of desolation. The phoenix, "burns as cold as frost," becomes a "legendary ghost" lost upon the ocean, representing the isolation and futility that can accompany the search for meaning and immortality.

The fifth section returns to the tangible, focusing on flesh and blood. The speaker turns "again / To flesh and blood and the blood’s pain," acknowledging the inevitable suffering that accompanies life. This acknowledgment sets the stage for the final section, where the poem culminates in the theme of redemption through blood.

In the sixth section, the speaker rides "In haste about the works of God," spurring his horse to draw blood. The line "By blood we live, the hot, the cold / To ravage and redeem the world" encapsulates the poem's central paradox: that destruction and redemption are intertwined. The mention of Christ's blood as a source of freedom emphasizes the Christian idea of salvation through sacrifice. Even though bodies lie "Under the rough pelt of the sea," their spirits are redeemed by this divine blood.

Hill's "Genesis" is a meditation on the complexities of creation, the violence of existence, and the hope of redemption. The poet's use of stark, sometimes brutal imagery serves to underscore the profound and often troubling nature of these themes. Through his intricate and layered language, Hill invites readers to reflect on the profound mysteries of life and the possibility of transcendence.

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