Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Alicia Suskin Ostriker's poem "The Eighth and Thirteenth" engages with the profound horror and relentless endurance of history through the lens of two symphonies by Dmitri Shostakovich, one of the most significant composers of the 20th century. The poem is a meditation on the intersection of art, memory, and atrocity, using Shostakovich's Eighth and Thirteenth symphonies as a vehicle to explore the traumatic events of World War II and the Siege of Leningrad, as well as the massacre at Babi Yar. Ostriker delves into the role of art in confronting and preserving the reality of these atrocities, while also reflecting on the nature of power, tyranny, and the human response to unimaginable suffering.

The poem begins by invoking the Eighth Symphony of Shostakovich, music that the speaker describes as "about the worst / Horror history offers." The Eighth Symphony, composed during World War II, is known for its dark and brooding character, reflecting the intense suffering and devastation of the war, particularly the Siege of Leningrad. The speaker listens to this symphony in solitude, drinking in the music "to the vile lees," indicating a willingness to confront the darkest aspects of human history and the pain embedded within the music.

Ostriker's vivid imagery brings the music to life, describing the symphony's minor thirds and tumbling brass as if they were physical entities, logs felled and washed downriver, "the rivermen at song." This metaphor suggests that the music carries the weight of history, moving inexorably forward, driven by the forces of memory and the relentless passage of time. The reference to "ravens / Who know when meat is in the offing" and the "avalanche / Of iron violins" conveys a sense of ominous inevitability, as if the music itself is complicit in the unfolding tragedy it narrates.

The poem then shifts to the historical context of Leningrad, where during the years of the siege, millions perished from bombardment, hunger, and the unforgiving Russian winter. Ostriker's language is stark and brutal: "Three million dead were born / Out of Christ's bloody side. Like icy / Fetuses." The image of unburied bodies stacked like sticks until the thaw of May evokes the grotesque reality of death on an incomprehensible scale. The symphony, like the memory of these events, "continues" because "it has no other choice." The persistence of music in the face of such horror reflects both the resilience of art and the burden it carries as a testament to suffering.

The poem emphasizes that Stalin hated Shostakovich's music, labeling it "not patriotic, not Russian, not Soviet." This rejection underscores the tension between art and tyranny, where art that refuses to conform to state propaganda is seen as a threat. Ostriker asserts that "tyrants understand nothing about art" because they are driven by the perversion of power, the pleasure of oppression. The composer, Shostakovich, is portrayed as a witness to this perversion, observing the world with an unflinching gaze, yet unable to escape the oppressive environment in which he lived and worked.

The poem transitions to Shostakovich's Thirteenth Symphony, specifically the first movement inspired by Yevgeny Yevtushenko's poem "Babi Yar," which memorializes the massacre of Kiev's Jews during the Holocaust. Ostriker provides a chilling recount of the massacre, where Jews were forced to undress, marched to their deaths, and shot in such a way that their bodies fell into a ravine. The graphic details—"Penises of the men like string, / Breasts of the women bobbling"—capture the dehumanization and brutality of the event. The music's "patient inquiry" into these horrors challenges the listener to confront the essence of reality, goodness, and the failure of the human spirit in the face of such evil.

Ostriker touches on the power of art to "destroy silence," referencing Yevtushenko's poem that broke the silence surrounding Babi Yar. The poem suggests that while art may have noble aims like beauty and grace, its true power lies in its ability to confront and articulate the unspeakable. Shostakovich's assertion that "Most of my symphonies are tombstones" and Tsvetaeva's declaration that "All poets are Jews" encapsulate the idea that art, particularly in times of atrocity, serves as a memorial, a record of suffering that defies the erasure of history.

The poem concludes with the haunting contrast between the words "never again" and "again and again," a reflection on the cyclical nature of violence and the persistent failure to learn from the past. Shostakovich's music, in Ostriker's portrayal, becomes the embodiment of this tension, a continuous, unyielding reminder of the atrocities that humanity is capable of, and the fragile hope that we might someday break the cycle.

"The Eighth and Thirteenth" is a powerful exploration of the role of art in bearing witness to history's darkest moments. Through the lens of Shostakovich's symphonies, Ostriker confronts the reader with the reality of suffering, the complicity of power, and the necessity of memory. The poem challenges us to listen, to remember, and to recognize the enduring relevance of art in the struggle against tyranny and the preservation of our shared humanity.

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