Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Verspers on the Nile", Ignatius Royston Dunnachie Campbell explores the timelessness of suffering and the endurance of human toil in a landscape that has witnessed centuries of history. Set on the Nile River, the poem blends natural imagery with reflections on the enduring plight of the laborers who built ancient monuments, drawing parallels between the past and the present. Campbell uses vivid descriptions, historical allusions, and biting irony to reflect on themes of oppression, perseverance, and the futility of monumental human efforts.

The poem begins with a tranquil evening scene on the Nile as the "sacred ibis" fly to their roost, described as "Mosquito-thin against the fading West." This image of delicate, almost ghostly birds sets a peaceful tone, while the "crimson Nile" and the "palm-trees" evoke the ancient and majestic setting of Egypt. The palm-trees, which "dangle their windless effigies of rest," seem to embody stillness and resignation, their reflections in the river emphasizing a sense of calm that belies the deeper currents of historical suffering beneath the surface.

The scene shifts as the natural quiet is broken by the cries of "wingless warblers of the bogs" and the "jackals" singing their "selenologues" in the moonlight. These creatures of the night, loyal to the "lunar sabbath," symbolize the persistence of life and activity in the otherwise still landscape, and their songs signal the continuation of ancient rhythms. The use of "selenologues," a word that implies speeches or songs directed at the moon, introduces the idea of communication with a higher, celestial power, contrasting with the human cries of suffering that soon follow.

The "lamentation of an ancient people" emerges from the landscape, suggesting that the voices of those who once toiled under the Pharaohs still echo through the sands and waters of Egypt. Campbell’s choice of words—"far-flung as from a steeple" and "in sounding choir"—elevates this lament to a spiritual level, as if the pain and suffering of these laborers have been immortalized, reverberating through time. The lament is connected to the historical memory of slavery and oppression, dating back to the days when "Pharaoh’s foreman stood with lifted quirt, / Or swung the bloody sjambok in his fist."

The "sjambok" (a whip) becomes a symbol of brutal authority, used to punish and control the laborers who built the great monuments of Egypt. Campbell draws a direct line between the forced labor of the past and the enduring struggle of the present, suggesting that while the rulers and the monuments have changed, the fundamental experience of toil and suffering remains constant. The "strain" of this ancient oppression is likened to the "Amphionic lyre," a mythical instrument that could move stones, symbolizing the laborers’ forced efforts to build the colossal stones of Thebes. Even as they constructed monuments of awe-inspiring grandeur, the workers’ toil "rang their ruin in prophetic tones," foreshadowing the inevitable decay of these symbols of power.

The central irony of the poem lies in the disconnect between the monumental achievements of the past and the human suffering that made them possible. While the pyramids and spires of Egypt remain as testaments to human ingenuity and ambition, the laborers who built them were condemned to a life of hardship, "crop[ping] the thistles" and biting "the withered frondage"—metaphors for the meager rewards of their endless toil. The repetition of phrases like "still theirs the agony, still theirs the bondage" reinforces the sense of cyclical suffering, suggesting that history has not brought any meaningful change to the plight of the workers.

The image of "a thousand rusty pumps" wheezing "untiring through their shrill refrain" further emphasizes the futility of their efforts, likening their labor to a never-ending, Sisyphean task. The pumps, like the workers, are old, worn out, and yet still required to continue their thankless work. Their song is a "shrill refrain," echoing the earlier lament, a constant reminder of the harsh conditions they face.

In the final stanza, Campbell reflects on the impermanence of power and beauty, which "change and pass," while one "epic to eternity remains— / The heehawhallelujahs of the Ass." This concluding image of the Ass, a humble and somewhat absurd creature, provides a stark contrast to the grandeur of the monuments and the lofty ambitions of rulers like Pharaoh. The Ass’s braying, a crude and comical sound, becomes the only lasting "epic" in the face of human ambition and suffering. It represents the persistence of life in its most basic, unglamorous form, outlasting the fleeting glory of kings and monuments. The use of "heehawhallelujahs" is especially ironic, as it conflates the Ass’s braying with religious or celebratory songs, suggesting that the true legacy of human effort is not the grand achievements but the absurdity and endurance of those who labor beneath them.

"Verspers on the Nile" masterfully blends historical and natural imagery to critique the enduring human condition of oppression and toil. Through rich metaphors and biting irony, Campbell reflects on the ways in which human suffering is embedded in the grand narratives of history, yet often goes unnoticed or forgotten. The poem’s meditation on the ephemeral nature of power and beauty, contrasted with the persistent and absurd braying of the Ass, leaves the reader with a profound sense of the futility of human efforts to transcend suffering. Despite the passage of centuries, the fundamental realities of life on the Nile—like the lamentation of the laborers—remain unchanged, resonating through the sands of time.

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