Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Charles Reznikoff’s poem "Depression" offers a stark portrayal of the human condition during times of economic despair, particularly during the Great Depression, a period marked by widespread unemployment and poverty. Through a series of vignettes, Reznikoff captures the dehumanizing effects of poverty, the erosion of dignity, and the relentless search for survival in an indifferent world.

The poem opens with the image of a woman entering a subway car, her head held high despite her apparent destitution. Reznikoff uses this scene to highlight the contrast between her proud demeanor and her disheveled appearance—“coat wrinkled and her belongings in a paper bag, / face unwashed and the grey hair uncombed.” The woman’s pride is juxtaposed with her reality, emphasizing the inner strength required to maintain dignity in the face of hardship. The phrase “simple soul” suggests an innocence or purity, yet also a vulnerability, as she stands up in the subway to beg for money, outshouting the noise of the train. The absence of a box or cap for collecting coins, using only her hands, underlines the depth of her desperation, as does the reaction of the passengers—“faces turned away,” indicating the pervasive indifference or discomfort that poverty elicits in those not directly affected by it.

Reznikoff then shifts the focus to another character, possibly a shopkeeper, whose life has been reduced to ruins by the fire of economic disaster. The imagery of “machines and merchandise” falling into “the great hole, this zero that had sucked away so many years” metaphorically represents the collapse of not just a business, but a life’s work, reduced to nothingness. The “strange curve in the lines and oblongs” of his life suggests the distortion of reality under the weight of loss, while the “drops of dirty water” falling on him symbolize the ceaseless, corrosive effects of poverty, which permeate every aspect of his existence. His thoughts, likened to “black water,” convey a sense of contamination and despair, with no clear path forward.

In another vignette, a woman waits for a job in a grim office setting, a space that mirrors her own sense of displacement. The dusty table, the poorly swept floor, and the presence of a mouse create an atmosphere of neglect and decay. Her reaction to the mouse—drawing her feet away, pulling her skirt close—indicates a desire to maintain some semblance of dignity and separation from the filth around her. However, the mouse’s indifference to her presence reflects the broader indifference of the world to her plight. The woman’s isolation in this “unfriendly world of men and mice” underscores the alienation felt by those struggling to find work and survive.

Reznikoff continues to explore the theme of joblessness with a scene of men walking along the drive, discussing jobs “they might get and jobs they had had,” oblivious to the natural beauty around them. This image of men consumed by their thoughts of work, or lack thereof, highlights the way in which the pursuit of employment becomes all-encompassing, blinding them to the world beyond their immediate concerns. Their focus on jobs, to the exclusion of all else, reflects the desperation and anxiety of those for whom employment is not just a means of income but a source of identity and worth.

The final vignette presents a grim tableau of men standing in line for soup, bread, and shelter, their “grimy clothes” serving as their uniform in this battalion of the poor. The military metaphor—“squads stand,” “well drilled in want”—emphasizes the dehumanizing regimentation of life in poverty, where survival becomes a matter of enduring routine hardships. The image of the man who has fainted on the steps, ignored by the others who “each in that battalion / eyes him, but does not move from his place,” illustrates the brutal necessity of self-preservation in a world where compassion is a luxury few can afford.

In "Depression," Reznikoff masterfully conveys the physical, emotional, and psychological toll of poverty through his use of vivid imagery and poignant, understated language. Each vignette serves as a snapshot of the broader human experience during the Great Depression, a time when the struggle for survival stripped away the trappings of dignity and left individuals exposed to the harsh realities of an uncaring world. The poem is a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of overwhelming adversity, while also serving as a sobering reminder of the costs of economic hardship.

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