Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Richard Wilbur?s "To Ishtar" is a lyrical and evocative meditation on the Mesopotamian goddess of love, fertility, and war, intertwining her mythological descent with the cycles of nature and human experience. The poem explores themes of renewal, sacrifice, and the tension between divinity and mortality, weaving vivid imagery and mythic resonance to convey the profound interplay between life, death, and regeneration.

The poem opens with a striking comparison between Ishtar’s brilliance and the sharp radiance of a snowfield in the spring: “How the snowfield smarts in the fresh sun, / And the bells of its melting ring.” This imagery conveys the painful yet beautiful awakening of nature, mirroring the goddess’s power to both illuminate and overwhelm. The "bells of melting" evoke a sense of transition, as winter gives way to spring’s vibrancy. Wilbur connects this seasonal transformation to Ishtar, suggesting that her influence pervades the natural world, even as it exposes its vulnerabilities.

Yet, the poem introduces a note of tension: “It is the Spring’s disgrace / That already...you have come down / To the first gate and darkened.” Here, Wilbur invokes Ishtar’s descent into the underworld, a central myth in which she passes through the seven gates of Irkalla to confront her sister, Ereshkigal. The goddess’s descent is framed as a kind of premature disruption to spring’s promise of renewal, as though her absence leaves the natural world in an uneasy state. The imagery of "darkening" at the first gate suggests both the literal descent into shadow and the figurative dimming of vitality.

The speaker addresses Ishtar directly, imploring forgiveness for humanity’s inability to conceive of her in her transcendent, maiden form: “Forgive us, who cannot conceive you / Elsewhere and maiden, but love you only / Fallen among us.” This admission underscores the human tendency to envision divinity only in its tangible, earthly manifestations—Ishtar as the force animating fertility, passion, and decay. The reference to her being "fallen among us in rut and furrow" evokes her presence in the cycles of planting and harvest, where life emerges from the soil and is ultimately reclaimed by it. The duality of Ishtar as both giver and taker underscores her integral role in the cycles of creation and destruction.

The poem’s central tension lies in Ishtar’s ultimate descent into Irkalla, the underworld, described as “the low door of Irkalla.” This imagery highlights the starkness of her sacrifice—her willingness to stoop, to relinquish her celestial crown, and to endure death for the sake of renewal. Wilbur emphasizes the perfection of this sacrifice: “Your death being so perfect.” In her death, Ishtar transcends human comprehension, eluding even the base impulses (“our itch for defilement”) that often taint humanity’s relationship with the divine. Her death becomes an act of ultimate purity, rendering her unreachable in her most profound state of transformation.

The poem turns to the bleak aftermath of Ishtar’s absence, capturing the desolation left in her wake: “The waste motions of empty trees, / The joyless tittering duff, the grass-mats / Blanched and scurfy with ice.” These images convey a barren landscape, where nature’s vitality has been stripped away, leaving only remnants of decay. The "joyless tittering" emphasizes the absence of life’s fullness, as if even the natural world mourns her loss. This stark imagery reflects humanity’s dependence on Ishtar’s regenerative power, as well as the deep yearning for her return.

Yet, the poem ends with a glimmer of hope, as Ishtar’s rising is associated with "pure and inconceivable blooms." These blooms, forced "from rotten sticks," symbolize the miraculous renewal that follows her descent. Ishtar’s role as a goddess of resurrection is reaffirmed, as she brings forth life from decay, bearing it "beyond us" into realms that transcend human understanding. The final lines acknowledge the transformative power of Ishtar’s journey, where death is not an end but a prelude to rebirth.

Structurally, the poem’s free verse allows Wilbur to move fluidly between vivid descriptions and philosophical reflections. The shifting tone—at times reverent, mournful, and hopeful—mirrors the cyclical nature of the goddess’s myth and its parallels to the natural world. Wilbur’s language is rich and layered, drawing on both physical and mythic imagery to convey the profound depth of Ishtar’s influence.

"To Ishtar" is ultimately a meditation on the sacred cycles of life and death, as embodied by the goddess and reflected in nature. Through her descent into darkness and eventual rise, Ishtar symbolizes the eternal process of decay and renewal, offering a vision of hope even in the face of loss. Wilbur’s poem captures this interplay with grace and poignancy, inviting readers to reflect on the ways in which divinity, nature, and humanity are intertwined in their shared rhythms of transformation.

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