Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Muriel Rukeyser’s “The Book of the Dead: The Face of the Dam: Vivian Jones” is a contemplative and poignant poem that reflects on the impact of industrial progress on both the landscape and the lives of those who inhabit it. Through the character of Vivian Jones, Rukeyser explores themes of memory, loss, and the haunting presence of the past in a changing world.

The poem opens with Jones leaving town and heading to a familiar spot where he can view his “locomotive rusted on the siding.” This image of a rusting train serves as a powerful symbol of obsolescence and the passage of time. It evokes a sense of nostalgia for a past era of industrial might, now left to decay. The sight of the river at his knee further anchors Jones in a landscape that is both a source of life and a witness to human endeavor and destruction.

As Jones watches the men working at the power-plant, he recalls the explosive blasts that widened the tunnel and revealed the silica within the rock. The “white glass” in the rock is a reference to the high silica content that caused the silicosis epidemic among the workers. Rukeyser uses vivid imagery to describe the scene: “the mouth of the tunnel that opened wider / when precious in the rock the white glass showed.” This line underscores the dangerous allure of the silica, both a valuable resource and a deadly threat.

The poem shifts to a description of the old plantation-house, now reduced to “a hill-acre of ground.” The image of a Negro woman throwing “gay arches of water out from the front door” juxtaposes the past’s legacy of slavery with a present moment of simple, almost joyful action. The water, “wild as grass,” symbolizes both the uncontrollable forces of nature and the uncontainable spirit of the people who live there.

Jones’s memories take him to the time when the tunnel was enlarged, and men came to work, drawn by the promise of employment. However, the work proved fatal as they “went into the tunnel-mouth to stay,” their lungs filling with deadly silica dust. Rukeyser captures the irony and tragedy of this situation with the line: “Never to be used, he thinks, never to spread its power, / jinx on the rock, curse on the power-plant.” The dam, a symbol of technological progress and potential, is rendered useless by the human cost it exacted.

As Jones reaches Hawk’s Nest, he observes the dam in its full majesty, with snow “springing up” and water “immense and pouring power.” The imagery here is both beautiful and haunting, as the dam’s grandeur is contrasted with its deadly legacy. The “mist of snow” and “fallen mist” evoke a sense of transience and the ephemeral nature of human achievements.

Throughout the poem, Jones’s actions—pulling up his collar, touching the picture of his girl for luck, and stamping in the deep snow—illustrate his attempts to find comfort and meaning in a landscape marked by tragedy. The dam stands as a monument to both human ingenuity and the cost of that progress, its “proud gorge and festive water” a testament to the complex interplay of beauty and destruction.

Rukeyser’s use of repetition, particularly the recurring “O the gay wind the clouds the many men,” emphasizes the contrast between the natural world’s beauty and the human suffering it has witnessed. The poem’s structure, with its quarter-hour segments, mirrors the passage of time and the cyclical nature of Jones’s reflections.

In the final lines, as the snow clears and the dam stands “in the gay weather,” Jones turns back towards town, attempting to “stamp this off his mind again.” The act of walking through town on the hour suggests a ritualistic return to normalcy, yet the weight of memory and loss lingers.

“The Face of the Dam: Vivian Jones” is a powerful exploration of the enduring impact of industrial progress on individuals and communities. Through vivid imagery and poignant reflection, Rukeyser captures the complex legacy of Gauley Bridge, weaving together themes of memory, loss, and the haunting presence of the past in the face of modernity.

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