Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Lawrence Durrell’s poem "Levant" presents a richly textured exploration of the Mediterranean, particularly the Levant, as a region of historical and cultural confluence. The poem evokes a world shaped by commerce, cultural intermingling, and the relentless passage of time. Durrell, a British writer known for his deep attachment to the Mediterranean, conjures a sense of both admiration and melancholy as he reflects on the region’s past and its transformation over centuries.

The poem opens with an immediate reference to "gum, oats and syrup," materials emblematic of trade, indicating the central role of commerce in the Levantine region. These goods, borne by "The Arabians," symbolize the deep-rooted trading traditions that have shaped the area. The sea, an omnipresent force in the poem, serves as both a literal and metaphorical backdrop, representing the flow of goods, people, and ideas. The "whips of salt and glittering spray" suggest the harsh yet life-sustaining nature of the sea, while the "wooden homes rocked on the chastening salt" evoke the precarious existence of those who live by it, constantly at the mercy of the elements.

Durrell shifts to a more human focus as he describes the people who populated this bustling hub. The "Lamps on altars, breath of children" introduce a sense of domesticity and religious devotion, underscoring the everyday lives intertwined with the grand narrative of commerce and empire. The poem’s tone becomes more critical as Durrell refers to the "tills grew fat with cash" and the role of Jews in inventing credit, a line that reflects the long-standing and sometimes contentious involvement of Jewish merchants in Mediterranean trade. The phrase "In margins folded up" suggests the compression of history and the reduction of complex lives into simple transactions and goods.

The mention of various ethnic groups—Syrians, mariners, English, Dutch—highlights the region’s diversity and the mixture of influences that have shaped its identity. However, Durrell’s tone here is ambivalent, noting that these foreigners "taught them nothing much / Beyond the endurance in the vile," suggesting a cynical view of the cultural exchanges that occurred, which perhaps only deepened the region's suffering rather than enriched it.

Durrell further reflects on the legacy of these interactions, noting how they left behind "words like / Portuguese or Greek / Whose bastards can still speak and smile." Here, the poem touches on the linguistic and cultural residues of colonialism, implying that the identities forged in this crucible are fragmented and perhaps compromised, yet enduring.

The latter part of the poem takes on a more somber tone, describing how "Boys, women and drugs" were part of the social fabric that sustained the economy and the "ant-hill for grammarians," a metaphor for the intellectuals and scholars who thrived on this complex society. Yet, the poem suggests that this thriving was built on exploitation and the commodification of human lives. The transformation of "oats and syrup" into "ribbons and wands and rash / Patents for sex and feathers" signals a descent into decadence, where trade and wealth fuel a culture of excess and moral decay.

Durrell concludes with a reflection on the persistence of certain types of people in the Levant—those "fine of tooth and with the soft / Hanging lashes to the eye," individuals shaped by a mix of endurance, beauty, and sadness. These are people forged by history and the "promiscuous sea," who embody the Levantine spirit in their resilience and adaptability. Yet, the final line, "Something money or promises can buy," casts a shadow on this image, suggesting that even the most enduring human qualities in this region are susceptible to corruption and commodification.

In "Levant," Durrell captures the complexity of a region where commerce, culture, and history are inextricably linked, yet where the forces of change and decay are always at work. The poem is both a tribute to the rich history of the Levant and a critique of the forces that have shaped it, leaving the reader with a sense of both awe and sorrow for what has been lost and what remains.

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