Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Gary Snyder’s "Spel Against Demons" is an incantatory poem that fuses Buddhist esoteric wisdom, ecological consciousness, and political critique into a forceful declaration against destructive forces masquerading as revolution or nature worship. The poem functions as a spell in both form and intent, invoking the energy of ancient wisdom to counterbalance what Snyder perceives as misguided or self-indulgent impulses that threaten true transformation.

The poem opens with a series of urgent commands: "The release of Demonic Energies in the name of the People must cease / Messing with blood sacrifice in the name of Nature must cease / The stifling self-indulgence in anger in the name of Freedom must cease." Snyder directly addresses the ways in which revolutionary and spiritual movements can become distorted by unchecked aggression. The phrase "Demonic Energies in the name of the People" critiques violent extremism that justifies itself as being for the greater good, while "blood sacrifice in the name of Nature" challenges the idea that destruction can be sanctified as an act of environmental reverence. "Self-indulgence in anger in the name of Freedom" points to a deeper issue: the ways in which rage, unchecked by clarity, can become an obstacle rather than a tool for liberation.

The repetition of "must cease" reinforces the poem’s function as a ritual declaration. The urgency is not just rhetorical but ceremonial, as though the poet is performing a verbal purification, stripping away the distortions that cloud genuine understanding. The consequences of allowing these demonic energies to run unchecked are stark: "this is death to clarity / death to compassion." Here, Snyder identifies the true cost of unrestrained violence—not just physical destruction but the erosion of fundamental qualities that sustain wisdom and connection.

Snyder then introduces the figure of the wolf as a counterpoint to the destructive forces he condemns: "the man who has the soul of the wolf knows the self-restraint of the wolf / aimless executions and slaughterings are not the work of wolves and eagles / but the work of hysterical sheep." The contrast between wolves, eagles, and sheep is central. In many Indigenous and mythic traditions, wolves and eagles are symbols of power, intelligence, and discipline, whereas sheep are often associated with blind following and panic-driven action. By describing "aimless executions and slaughterings" as the behavior of "hysterical sheep," Snyder challenges the assumption that violent revolution or destruction is inherently powerful. Instead, he argues, true power lies in restraint and wisdom, in knowing when to act and when to hold back.

At the heart of the poem is the declaration: "The Demonic must be devoured! / Self-serving must be cut down / Anger must be plowed back." Snyder does not advocate a passive response to destructive forces; rather, he insists that they must be transformed. "The Demonic must be devoured!" suggests not simple rejection but an active process of assimilation and conversion. "Anger must be plowed back" evokes an agricultural metaphor, where even destructive emotions, if properly harnessed, can become fertilizer for something new. This aligns with Buddhist principles of transforming negative energies rather than simply suppressing them.

The next lines establish the qualities necessary for true power: "Fearlessness, humor, detachment, is power / Gnowledge is the secret of Transformation!" Snyder deliberately spells "Gnowledge" with a G, likely referencing the Gnostic tradition, which emphasizes hidden, experiential wisdom rather than surface-level understanding. This altered spelling suggests that the knowledge required for true transformation is not conventional intellect but something deeper, an intuitive or esoteric awareness.

The latter part of the poem shifts into invocation, calling upon Achala the Immovable, Lord of Wisdom, Lord of Heat, a wrathful Buddhist deity associated with the transformation of anger into enlightenment. Achala, often depicted with a fierce expression, a sword, and a garland of severed heads, is a protector who subdues harmful forces while maintaining absolute stillness. Snyder’s invocation of Achala reinforces his central argument: that true power is not reckless destruction but disciplined transformation.

The description of Achala—"squint-eyed and whose face is terrible with bare fangs, / who wears on his crown a garland of severed heads, clad in a tiger skin,"—places him in the lineage of fierce deities who embody the paradox of wrath as compassion. The severed heads symbolize the cutting away of ignorance, while the tiger skin represents mastery over base instincts. The elemental imagery that follows—"of lava, of magma, of deep rock strata, of gunpowder, and the Sun."—connects Achala’s power to the primal forces of the earth, reinforcing his role as both destroyer and stabilizer.

The final lines present a spel in Sanskrit: "NAMAH SAMANTAH VAJRANAM CHANDA MAHAROSHANA SPHATAYA HUM TRAKA HAM MAM." This mantra, dedicated to Achala, is a purification chant meant to cut through illusion and aggression. By ending with this incantation, Snyder fully aligns the poem with the ritual function of a spell—words not just meant to describe but to actively transform the world.

"Spel Against Demons" is a poem of exorcism, an attempt to dispel false energies that masquerade as liberation. It critiques those who engage in destruction without wisdom, whether in political movements, environmental extremism, or spiritual fanaticism. Yet it does not advocate simple passivity. Instead, Snyder calls for transformation through self-restraint, humor, fearlessness, and deep knowledge. The poem aligns itself with Buddhist wrathful wisdom, recognizing that anger and destruction have their place—but only when wielded with precision, like Achala’s sword. Through its rhythmic declarations and invocation of sacred power, "Spel Against Demons" is both a warning and a prayer, seeking to restore clarity in a world clouded by reactionary violence.

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