Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

George Oppen's poem "Giovanni's 'Rape of the Sabine Women' at Wildenstein's" is a complex meditation on art, violence, memory, and the human condition. Inspired by a sculpture that depicts the legendary episode from Roman history, the poem explores the tension between the aesthetic representation of violence and the underlying human suffering that it embodies. Oppen reflects on the power of art to convey intense emotions and dramatic moments, while also questioning the adequacy of art in capturing the full depth of human experience.

The poem begins with a vivid description of the sculpture: "Showing the girl / On the shoulder of the warrior, calling / Behind her in the young body's triumph." The girl, caught in the moment of her abduction, is depicted with "slight, despairing arms aloft," signaling both her resistance and her helplessness. The "young body's triumph" contrasts with the desperation in her gesture, highlighting the duality of the moment—both a physical victory for the warrior and a profound loss of agency for the girl. The men in the scene are described as "violent, / Being violent / In a strange village," emphasizing the raw, brutal nature of the event being immortalized in the sculpture.

The poem then shifts to the broader setting, where "The dust / Settles into village clarity / Among the villagers, a difficult / Ful of treason." This settling dust suggests a return to a state of uneasy peace or acceptance after the chaos of violence. The "treason" mentioned here could refer to the betrayal of the villagers' trust or the violation of their community by the intruding warriors. The idea of "singing" to one's fellows, particularly to "old men," evokes a sense of nostalgia or the transmission of cultural memory, but Oppen seems skeptical about the capacity of such songs to fully capture the gravity of events like the Rape of the Sabine Women.

Oppen's focus then shifts back to the sculpture, which he describes as "Spiraling a drama / In the stair well / Thick carpeted, exhilarated by the stylish / Or the opulent, the blind and deaf." This imagery evokes the dissonance between the raw human suffering depicted in the art and the refined, perhaps detached environment in which it is displayed. The "spiraling" motion of the sculpture suggests both the physical dynamics of the figures and the broader emotional or historical implications of the scene. The mention of "the stylish / Or the opulent, the blind and deaf" critiques the way in which art can be commodified or appreciated superficially, without a true understanding of the pain it represents.

The poem then delves into the psychological and emotional impact of the artwork: "There was the child / The girl was: / Seeking like a child the eyes / Of the animals / To promise / Everything that matters, shelter / From the winds." The girl, in her innocence and vulnerability, looks to the natural world for comfort or assurance—seeking "the eyes of the animals" for a promise of protection. This desire for shelter from "the winds that lie / In the mind, / The ruinous winds" suggests the inner turmoil and fear that accompany the external violence. The "ruinous winds" represent the destructive thoughts or emotions that persist long after the physical violence has ended.

Oppen then reflects on the broader implications of the artwork and the experiences it evokes: "'Powerless to affect / The intensity of what is'— / 'It has been good to us' / However." Here, he acknowledges the limitations of art in altering the reality it depicts, yet he also recognizes the comfort or insight it can provide. The poem transitions to a personal reflection on the "nights / At sea," where the speaker contemplates the vast, uncontrollable forces ("the large / Loose sphere of it") that shape human experience, much like the sea moves a "little boat."

The poem's conclusion grapples with the inadequacy of language and art to fully express the depth of human experience: "If this is treason / To the artists, make the most of it; one needs such faith, / Such faith in it, / In the whole thing, more than I, / Or they, have had in songs." Oppen suggests that the faith required to truly engage with art and its subject matter—whether as a creator or an observer—goes beyond what has traditionally been afforded to it. The "long helplessness" of those who will remain in the world, feeling "the loss of things," underscores the existential struggle to find meaning and solace in a world marked by violence and suffering.

In "Giovanni's 'Rape of the Sabine Women' at Wildenstein's," Oppen uses the depiction of a violent historical event in art to explore deeper questions about the role of art, the nature of human suffering, and the limitations of both memory and representation. The poem is a powerful reflection on how art can simultaneously preserve and distort the past, challenging us to confront the complexities of what we see and what it truly means.

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