Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Alicia Suskin Ostriker's poem "Seasonal" is a vivid and deeply personal meditation on the intersection of physical sensation, spiritual reflection, and the cycles of life. Through a series of biblical allusions and richly sensory language, Ostriker explores the profound and sometimes contradictory experiences of being alive, drawing a sharp contrast between the pleasures and pains of the body and the abstractions of spiritual or theological thought.

The poem opens with the speaker basking in the warmth of the sun, a simple yet powerful image that immediately grounds the reader in the physical world. The sun's heat causes the speaker to "itch and am satisfied," a paradoxical combination of discomfort and pleasure that suggests a deep, almost primal connection to the natural world. This sensation is not merely accepted but embraced, as the speaker likens the experience to a "thirsty man / drinking from his garden hose" and a "smiling woman / receiving a man." These comparisons link the physical sensation of sunlight to the fundamental human experiences of thirst and sexual intimacy, emphasizing the body's capacity for both need and fulfillment.

As the poem progresses, Ostriker introduces a series of biblical references, each one deepening the exploration of the body's relationship to the spirit. The speaker identifies with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—patriarchs of the Jewish faith—each representing different aspects of the human experience. The mention of Abraham, who famously declared "Here I am" when called by God, suggests a sense of purpose and presence in the world. The speaker, too, is here "for this I came," fully embracing the physicality of existence.

Isaac, who "laugh[s] trembling," embodies a more ambivalent relationship to life. His laughter is tinged with fear, perhaps reflecting the knowledge of life's fragility or the awareness of impending mortality. Yet, there is also a sense of joy in being alive, however tenuous that existence may be.

Jacob's perspective brings a stark contrast between the corporeal and the spiritual. The speaker muses that "in the spirit world they can never / experience pleasure the way flesh can," suggesting that the physical body, with all its desires and struggles, offers a unique and irreplaceable experience. This assertion elevates the body's experiences—making love, nursing a child, fighting, and even playing basketball—as sacred in their own right, more meaningful than any abstract spiritual or theological concept.

The poem's conclusion, "everything else is theology and folly," dismisses the lofty ideals of religious or philosophical thought as irrelevant compared to the visceral reality of the body. The speaker implies that the true essence of life lies not in spiritual transcendence but in the here and now, in the tangible and sometimes painful experiences that come with being alive. Even when the body "sickens" and "nursing its lesions," it "struggles to stay," clinging to life with a tenacity that defies easy explanation.

In "Seasonal," Ostriker invites the reader to consider the primacy of the body in the human experience. The poem celebrates the physical sensations that define our existence while acknowledging the inevitable struggles that come with them. Through the use of biblical allusion and a focus on sensory detail, Ostriker weaves a complex meditation on the nature of life, suggesting that the body, with all its pleasures and pains, offers a truth that transcends theological or philosophical speculation. The poem ultimately affirms life in its most basic, corporeal form, finding meaning and beauty in the simple fact of being alive.

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