Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Lazarus to the Assembled" by James Dickey is a profound and stirring poem that reimagines the biblical story of Lazarus, giving voice to the resurrected man as he addresses those gathered around his tomb. Through Lazarus’s perspective, Dickey explores themes of life, death, resurrection, and the unsettling nature of returning from the dead. The poem delves deep into the emotional and existential ramifications of such a resurrection, both for Lazarus and those witnessing this miracle.

The poem begins with Lazarus expressing a sense of disorientation and awe at his own revival. He describes the light as it "crawls" and becomes "the hot, caved-in brightness" where he lay, a vivid depiction that captures the physical and sensory overwhelm of coming back to life. The "weight of the hill" pressing down on him symbolizes not just the physical reality of the tomb but also the burden of returning to the living world.

Lazarus’s voice carries a mixture of confusion and enlightenment as he confronts the fundamental unnaturalness of his return: "I cannot stay here with this." This line reflects his internal conflict and the impossibility of reconciling his existence between life and death. The rolling away of the stone, which should symbolize liberation, instead reveals the crowd’s fear and confusion—they had "hidden the dead," and now must face the reality of what they believed was gone forever.

As Lazarus speaks, he notes the shift from stillness to motion, not only in himself but also in those around him. His resurrection acts as a catalyst, setting in motion a series of transformations that ripple outward, "like a forest / By a miracle touched at the roots." This metaphor beautifully illustrates the profound and far-reaching impact of his return on the community.

Lazarus describes his life force moving through the crowd, touching "Body after body among you," suggesting that his revival instills life and stirs the souls of those around him, reaching even "the heart of the city." This connection between Lazarus and the community underscores a shared humanity, altered irrevocably by the experience of witnessing the dead return to life.

The imagery continues with Lazarus feeling the sun coming "into my mouth," allowing him to "devour all light." This powerful image symbolizes a consuming force, a rebirth so potent that it seems to eclipse natural laws. The scene is apocalyptic yet transformative, as Lazarus calls for the dead to be brought out, challenging the living to confront their mortality and their dead, just as he has been confronted with his own.

As the poem progresses, Lazarus's transformation becomes both a physical and spiritual awakening. The open doors of the houses and the ringing water in wells signify a broader awakening, a community stirred to its core. Yet, Lazarus himself remains apart, a figure who has crossed a boundary that others have not, and cannot, cross. His proclamation to "bring out your dead" is a poignant reminder of the unresolved tensions between life and death, known and unknown, that his resurrection has surfaced.

Dickey’s Lazarus is not just a biblical figure brought back to life; he is a symbol of the disruption and recalibration of life’s rhythms and beliefs. Through intense imagery and the deep, personal voice of Lazarus, Dickey explores the complex interplay of death and life, the familiar and the miraculous. The poem ends with a haunting ambiguity about the nature of existence and the isolation that profound experiences can create, even—or especially—when they are shared.

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