Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Alice Fulton's "Gilt Cymbal Behind Saints" intricately examines the juxtaposition of sacred imagery with the harsh realities of urban decay and human suffering. The poem is divided into two sections, "Cinderblock" and "Cause Célèbre," each exploring different facets of existence, from the physical to the metaphysical, the earthly to the divine.

In "Cinderblock," the poem opens with a reflection on the evolution of the halo, traditionally a symbol of divine radiance. The lines "Once halo meant a threshing floor. / Once iron flew inward to form a core." suggest that what we now see as a symbol of holiness and sanctity once had more mundane, earthly origins. This sets the stage for a meditation on the intersection of the sacred and the profane.

The imagery quickly shifts to a stark, urban setting: "The crackhouse child / who jammed mixed jive / sang 'I want to beast someone.'" Here, Fulton juxtaposes the innocence of a child with the violence and desperation of their environment, symbolized by "pit bulls ripped silver chains from the heart's skein." The "goofy face of Betty Boop" graffitied on the playground brick adds a layer of nostalgia and irony, her playful innocence contrasting sharply with the surrounding decay and memorialization.

The poem poignantly addresses loss and the ways communities cope with tragedy: "Is it a gang's farewell to hallelujah floozies from the 'hood? Oh no. / Someone's fixed a cross corsage to the flat- / finished clouds and set blossoms / on a cinderblock before them." This act of makeshift memorialization underscores the resilience and creativity in the face of grief, transforming mundane objects into symbols of remembrance.

Fulton delves into the themes of culpability and fate with lines like "The parents say their blame like rosaries. Their search for cause takes them beyond / slack building codes to earth's shy core." This reflection suggests that while human errors and systemic failures contribute to tragedies, there are also deeper, more uncontrollable forces at play. The "coarse tulle of chain link" and "golden tape" used to mark accident sites become symbols of both protection and futility, attempting to contain the uncontainable.

The second section, "Cause Célèbre," shifts focus to a philosophical and theological exploration. Fulton begins with a divine monologue: "Thought God, I crave adoration. Creatures, Hes and shes, who'll love me 'cause I'm nice." This anthropomorphic portrayal of God as a being who desires love and admiration highlights the human tendency to project our own desires and insecurities onto the divine.

The poem critiques the concept of a benevolent deity who allows suffering: "The love He's said to roar, / Nothing audible to us. It's the rare / God who needs less stroking than a rock / Star or poetician." Fulton questions the fairness and consistency of divine justice, comparing it to human leaders who are judged more harshly for leading others into temptation.

Fulton suggests that the randomness and chaos of the universe, "the slipshod / Histories of chance, the planless cascade, the dare / Of gamble," are more accurate representations of existence than any divine plan. This perspective challenges traditional religious narratives, proposing that human agency and chance play a more significant role in shaping our lives.

In the closing lines, Fulton asserts human power and responsibility: "We hold sway: the cold and warm / Specks in the touch, the go, the form reform." This final affirmation underscores the poem's central theme of human resilience and the capacity to find meaning and beauty in the midst of chaos and suffering.

"Gilt Cymbal Behind Saints" by Alice Fulton is a profound exploration of the interplay between sacred symbols and the harsh realities of human existence. Through vivid imagery and philosophical reflection, the poem invites readers to reconsider the nature of divinity, fate, and human agency, ultimately affirming the power and resilience of the human spirit

POEM TEXT: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Powers_of_Congress/-RgVMZEgQvsC?q=&gbpv=1&bsq=GILT#f=false

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