Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Alicia Suskin Ostriker's poem "Vocation" is a poignant reflection on the passage of time, the discovery of self, and the enduring power of words. The poem beautifully captures the innocence, fear, and burgeoning courage of a young girl exploring the world on her own for the first time, while also linking this experience to the poet's lifelong relationship with language and writing.

The poem opens with a description of playing "among the words like one of them," suggesting that the poet’s vocation—her calling—has always been tied to language. Words are portrayed as luminous, "Lit from within," visible to others but elusive to the speaker herself. This imagery hints at the mysterious and almost magical quality of language, which can illuminate the world and offer insight, yet remain just out of reach for the one who wields it.

The girl in the poem is described as "slip[ping] like a cat through traffic," which evokes a sense of agility and cautious independence. She is "alone downtown / For the first time," a moment fraught with both excitement and anxiety. The details—"subway fare in her purse," the "Fear of losing it / Clamping her chest"—capture the vulnerability of a young person navigating the unfamiliar and intimidating urban environment.

The poem's sensory imagery is rich and evocative: "Wind whipping tears from her eyes," "Fried grease and gasoline in her nose," and "shoes and / Jewelry in shopwindows" create a vivid picture of the bustling city and the overwhelming stimuli that surround the girl. These details immerse the reader in her experience, allowing us to feel the mixture of fear and exhilaration that defines this moment of independence.

The "spike / Of freedom stitching her scalp" is a particularly striking image, conveying both the sharpness and the thrill of newfound autonomy. This sense of freedom is complicated by the girl’s dread of an "allergy shot at the clinic," a reminder that bravery often coexists with fear. Yet, despite her apprehensions, "she feels herself getting brave," indicating the growth of her confidence as she moves through the city.

As the poem progresses, the snow begins to fall on Central Park South, and a "flight of pigeons / Whim up from a small pile of junk in the gutter." The pigeons, with their "Grey, violet, green, a predatory shimmer," represent the unpredictable beauty and danger of the world the girl is beginning to navigate. The pigeons’ movement adds a sense of dynamism to the scene, suggesting that life, like these birds, can be both beautiful and unsettling.

The image of the "marquee of the Paris Theater" looking "at the rapturous child / Through downcast lashes, condescendingly" introduces a note of irony. The theater, a symbol of art and culture, seems to regard the girl’s wonder and excitement with a kind of detached amusement, as if aware of the larger, harsher realities that she has yet to encounter. This moment underscores the tension between innocence and experience, between the child’s unguarded awe and the world’s indifferent gaze.

In the final stanza, the perspective shifts as the speaker reflects on the girl from "a distance of fifty years." The poet sees how small and vulnerable the girl is, noting her "thin coat" as a symbol of her fragility. The speaker's offer of "a necklace of tears, orgasms, words" is deeply moving, representing the complex and rich experiences of life that the girl will come to know. This "necklace" is a metaphor for the full spectrum of human experience—joy, pain, and the creative power of language—that the speaker, with the wisdom of age, now offers to her younger self.

"Vocation" is a meditation on the passage of time, the journey from innocence to experience, and the enduring vocation of the poet to capture and express the truths of life through words. Ostriker’s poem speaks to the universal experience of growing up, of facing the world alone for the first time, and of discovering the power and limitations of language as a means of understanding and shaping that world. The poem is both a tribute to the bravery of youth and a testament to the wisdom gained through the experiences of a lifetime.

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