Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Paul Muldoon’s poem "Brock" is a richly layered work that weaves together themes of memory, heritage, and the passage of time. The poem uses the figure of a badger, referred to as "brock," as a symbolic representation of the speaker's ancestry and personal history. Through vivid imagery and historical allusions, Muldoon explores the connections between the natural world, family legacy, and the impact of war on both the land and the people who inhabit it.

The poem begins by addressing the absence of the badger throughout the winter, hinting at the animal’s elusive nature: "Small wonder / he’s not been sighted all winter." The badger’s absence is attributed to a symbolic journey: "this old brock’s / been to Normandy and back / through the tunnels and trenches / of his subconscious." This reference to Normandy and the trenches of World War I immediately sets a somber tone, linking the badger’s experience to the traumas of war. The imagery suggests that the badger, like a soldier, has navigated the dark, buried memories of conflict, which have left an indelible mark on him.

The poem then delves into the badger's familial history, drawing parallels between the animal's lineage and the speaker's own ancestry. The badger's father is said to have "fell victim / to mustard-gas at the Somme," referencing one of the most devastating battles of World War I, where chemical warfare was infamously used. The mention of a son losing "a paw / to a gin-trap at Lisbellaw" further reinforces the theme of suffering and loss that runs through generations, while another son drills "on the Antrim hills’ / still-molten lava / in a moth-eaten Balaclava." This imagery suggests a connection between the natural world’s geological history and the ongoing human conflicts, with the Balaclava referencing the Crimean War, known for its brutal conditions.

Muldoon then describes the badger’s habitat, an "elaborate / system of foxholes and duckboards," which leads to the "terminal moraine / of an ex-linen baron’s / croquet-lawn." The juxtaposition of war-related imagery with the remnants of a wealthy landowner's estate highlights the contrast between the violence of history and the genteel pursuits of the aristocracy. The badger’s role as a "part-time groundsman" on this estate suggests a humble existence, yet one that is deeply intertwined with the land and its history.

The poem’s tone shifts as the speaker reflects on the badger’s character, resisting the temptation to "dismiss him simply as a pig." Instead, Muldoon draws on the folklore recorded by Gerald of Wales, who wrote about badgers keeping badger-slaves—a myth that underscores the badger’s complexity and the deeper significance of his presence. The speaker acknowledges the badger’s symbolic weight, seeing in him echoes of his grandfather: "I glimpse my grandfather’s whiskers / stained with tobacco-pollen." This intimate comparison brings the badger closer to the human realm, blurring the lines between animal and ancestor, nature and memory.

The poem continues to explore the badger’s actions, noting how he "piddles against a bullaun," a stone basin associated with early Christian rituals in Ireland. Despite knowing that the badger "carries bovine TB," the speaker is more struck by the memories the badger evokes: "what I see / is my father in his Sunday suit’s / bespoke lime and lignite." The father's suit, made from materials associated with industry and the earth, symbolizes a connection to the land that is both dignified and enduring, despite the passage of time and the diminishment of his estate.

In "Brock," Muldoon uses the figure of the badger as a powerful metaphor for the persistence of memory and heritage. The poem reflects on the impact of historical events, such as war and industrialization, on both the landscape and the families who have lived through them. Through its rich imagery and evocative language, the poem captures the ways in which the past continues to shape the present, with the badger serving as a living link to the speaker's ancestral roots and the collective history of the land. The poem ultimately suggests that these connections, though often buried and elusive, remain vital and deeply influential in the shaping of identity and understanding of place.

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