Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Lynda Hull’s "Love Song During Riot with Many Voices; Newark, 1967" is a visceral, kaleidoscopic depiction of a love scene unfolding amidst chaos. Set during the Newark riots, the poem intertwines intimate passion with the violent disarray of a city in upheaval, weaving a narrative that blurs personal and collective histories. Hull’s use of fragmented imagery, shifting tones, and a dense, cinematic rhythm underscores the tension between love and destruction, memory and present, connection and isolation.

The poem opens with the "bridge?s iron mesh" casting alternating patterns of "shadow and pale" across a corner window. This interplay of light and darkness establishes the visual and emotional landscape of the poem, marking both the literal setting of Newark and the symbolic intermingling of bodies, identities, and experiences. The juxtaposition of "this man, this woman" and "the young eclipse their naked bodies make" introduces an intimate moment that is both private and exposed, as the "dying fall of light" casts their vulnerability into stark relief. The phrase "black, white, white, black" highlights their racial identities, echoing the broader racial tensions underpinning the riots while emphasizing the human tenderness that transcends them.

Hull’s language layers the immediacy of the lovers’ connection with the larger world’s chaos. The radio broadcasts of "Saigon besieged, Hanoi, snipers" and the nearby "riot news helicoptered from blocks away" create a backdrop of violence and dissonance. The lovers’ union becomes a fragile haven, but it cannot escape the "city breaking down" around them. Even in this sanctuary, Hull doesn’t shy away from the stark realities: "pawnshops disgorge their contraband of saxophones and wedding rings," a haunting image of stolen dreams and lives, as love and music—symbols of human connection—are commodified amidst the unrest.

The sensory richness of the poem evokes a surreal, almost hallucinatory atmosphere. Hull moves seamlessly between the tactile and the surreal, painting the riot with vivid strokes: "Traffic stalls to bricks shattering... the pavement where rioters careen in furs and feathered hats burdened with fans." The imagery here suggests both chaos and an unsettling opulence, as objects of desire and status become absurdly displaced in the violent upheaval. Hull’s mention of "the Polish butcher?s strings of sausages, fat hams" imbues the scene with grotesque vitality, contrasting the indulgence of material looting with the profound human cost of the riots.

The intimate dialogue between the lovers, interspersed with the violent imagery, creates a poignant counterpoint. Lines like "bitch I love you" and "hush baby, come to papa" convey a raw, desperate tenderness, an effort to find solace in each other amidst the destruction. Yet, their love is not untouched by the surrounding violence; Hull calls attention to the "riot within" their bodies, echoing the unrest outside. This duality of internal and external turmoil heightens the poem’s tension, as passion and pain are inseparable.

Throughout, Hull weaves a musicality into the poem, both through her allusions to music and her rhythmic, cascading lines. Jimi Hendrix’s incendiary performance of "Wild Thing" becomes a central motif, epitomizing the sacrifice and destruction entwined with love and artistry. Hendrix’s "butaning his guitar to varnish, crackle and discord" parallels the burning city and the lovers’ fraught union. The "Caravaggio face" and the question posed to the crowd—"did they want to see him sacrifice something he loved?"—mirror the poem’s broader themes of loss, offering, and creation amidst destruction.

The poem doesn’t shy away from the grim realities of the riot. Hull’s depiction of "the black schoolgirl whose face is smashed again and again" and the cries for "mercy" in storefront churches confronts the reader with the human cost of systemic violence. These moments anchor the poem in the specific historical context of Newark in 1967, ensuring that the personal narrative of the lovers is inextricably tied to the larger social and political upheaval.

The poem concludes with a poignant mingling of hope and despair. The "girl touches a birthmark behind her knee"—a gesture of innocence and yearning—while wishing away the "doused smell of charred buildings." The imagery of "morning?s fractured descant" and "citizens descending, turning back with points of flame within their eyes" underscores the cyclical nature of destruction and resilience. Hull’s closing image of "buses leave, their great wipers arc like women bending through smoke to burdens, singing terror, singing pity" captures the enduring weight of suffering and the persistence of human expression.

"Love Song During Riot with Many Voices; Newark, 1967" is a masterful exploration of love and violence, memory and history. Hull’s dense, evocative language and her ability to weave personal intimacy with collective experience create a poem that is both immediate and timeless, a haunting testament to the complexities of human connection in times of upheaval.

Copyright (c) 2025 PoetryExplorer

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...