Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"On the Anniversary of the Versailles Peace, 1936" by William Everson is a poignant reflection on the nature of peace and conflict, set against the backdrop of the anniversary of the Treaty of Versailles. This treaty, which officially ended World War I in 1919, is remembered here not as a moment of triumph but as a precursor to continued strife and the eventual onset of World War II. Everson uses vivid imagery and metaphors to explore the cyclical nature of human violence and the elusive quest for lasting peace.

The poem begins with a somber scene: "Low is the light; / No red in the sky but a yellow stain;" creating an atmosphere of subdued anticipation or aftermath, rather than one of celebration. The "killed snake, the sierra," with its "angles and humps on the filled east," evokes images of a scarred battlefield, the natural world bearing the marks of human conflict.

In the "low fields where no song is and the wind dead," Everson captures a moment of eerie calm, a suspended tension rather than true peace. The "forces are caught," and "the wrestlers hang in the wide sky, blended and still;" suggesting that the underlying conflicts and animosities are merely paused, not resolved. This moment offers a fleeting hope that the "gospel of love which was Christ's" might finally be embraced, yet this hope is fragile and tenuous.

The fragile truce is shattered as "the light spreads, hurling west, / And the sun bursts roaring from the rough hills, / Trampling up sky, and is free." This sudden explosion of light and movement symbolizes the resurgence of conflict, the inescapable return to violence as the sun—a metaphor for uncontrollable, fiery aggression—reclaims the sky.

Everson then delves into the innate human propensity for conflict, stating, "There is in the plasm the mood that denies [peace]." The poem suggests that aggression and the "love of the striking" are ingrained in human nature, an "inviolate flame" that cannot be extinguished by treaties or declarations of peace. This grim view of humanity is underscored by historical references to Napoleon, Caesar, and Genghis Khan, leaders who epitomized the glorification of conquest and the willingness of the masses to follow them "into the jaws" of war, "singing."

The closing lines of the poem express a resigned acceptance of the "poor dream" of peace, acknowledging that while the ideal is held "as passionately as any," it is unlikely to be realized. The speaker attributes this to humanity's heritage from "that mother, the past," from which we have "got something but love from her dugs." This metaphor suggests that humanity has inherited traits of aggression and conflict from its history, rather than the capacity for unconditional love and peace.

Everson's "On the Anniversary of the Versailles Peace, 1936" is a powerful meditation on the elusiveness of peace and the persistent cycle of human violence. Through its stark imagery and contemplative tone, the poem invites readers to reflect on the challenges of achieving lasting peace in a world where the forces of conflict are deeply embedded in the human condition.

POEM TEXT: https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Residual_Years/JeBX8LZrdr8C?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22They+came+out+of+the+sun+undetected%22by+WILLIAM+EVERSON&pg=PA120&printsec=frontcover

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