Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Marcia Pelletiere’s poem "Under Her Crib" is a poignant meditation on memory, tradition, and the enduring connections between past and present, particularly within the context of Jewish immigrant experiences. The poem weaves together layers of memory, from the distant past of a Yiddish lullaby to the lived experiences of a woman now in her old age, reflecting on the resilience of cultural practices and the way they sustain identity across time and place.

The poem opens with a reference to a Yiddish song, where "a goat danced under Ehteleh's crib, to rock it gently." This image of a goat dancing under a crib is both tender and whimsical, evoking the protective and nurturing aspects of cultural traditions that are passed down through generations. The use of "Ehteleh" (a diminutive of the name Esther) immediately places the reader in a world steeped in Jewish cultural references, where names and lullabies carry deep significance. The goat, a humble and familiar creature in Jewish folklore, symbolizes both the innocence of childhood and the enduring strength of these cultural stories.

As the poem shifts, we find that "Ehteleh is Esther now; at seventy-nine, small and frail in her hospital bed." The transformation from Ehteleh to Esther marks the passage of time and the evolution from childhood to old age. Esther's physical frailty contrasts with the vibrancy of the dancing goat, yet the memory of that lullaby remains with her, a link to a time when she was "strong and only small because she's young." The contrast between her current state and her memories underscores the bittersweet nature of aging, where the body may weaken, but the spirit and memories endure.

The poem moves to a collective memory of a "strange feast" that Esther recalls, situated in the context of her family's immigrant experience. In Lithuania, the poem notes, "no trace remained of those who didn't escape," highlighting the tragic losses of the Holocaust and the erasure of Jewish communities in Eastern Europe. The absence of these traces emphasizes the importance of memory and ritual in preserving what might otherwise be lost. In contrast, the poem notes that "Here, in America, they'd know where their dead rested," suggesting a different kind of permanence and security in the new world, where burial plots offer a tangible connection to those who have passed.

The central image of the poem is the gathering of twenty immigrants at a "still-barren family plot," a place where they celebrate not the loss of life, but the absence of death over the past year. This feast on "empty graves" is both poignant and symbolic, representing the resilience and hope of the immigrant community as they seek to establish new roots in a foreign land. The blanket spread over the graves serves as a metaphorical bridge between the living and the dead, between past losses and future hopes. The feast itself, with its traditional foods like "roast beef, kugel, beets," is an act of cultural preservation, a way of maintaining connections to their heritage even in a new country.

The poem's focus on food and communal sharing highlights the role of tradition in sustaining the community. Even Morris, "who hates herring," is compelled to take part, underscoring the importance of communal rituals in maintaining a sense of belonging and continuity. The presence of these rituals in a cemetery further reinforces the idea that life and death are intimately connected, and that the living must remember and honor those who have passed in order to sustain their own sense of identity.

As the poem returns to the image of young Ehteleh, "strong and only small because she's young," prancing around her parents "like a little goat," it ties the past to the present. This scene encapsulates the joy and innocence of childhood, a time when Ehteleh is free to play and bask in the warmth of the sun, unaware of the hardships her family has endured. The poem concludes with a tender image of Jacob driving the family home at dusk, and Miril singing "so the goat will dance her girl to sleep." This final image brings the poem full circle, returning to the motif of the goat as a symbol of comfort, protection, and the continuation of cultural traditions.

"Under Her Crib" by Marcia Pelletiere is a rich, layered exploration of memory, tradition, and the immigrant experience. Through its vivid imagery and careful attention to cultural detail, the poem reflects on the ways in which the past is carried forward into the present, even as time and circumstances change. The poem celebrates the resilience of cultural practices and the deep connections between family, memory, and identity, reminding readers of the importance of preserving these ties across generations.

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