Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Kevin Young?s "Saying Grace: The Preserving" is a deeply textured meditation on the labor, traditions, and communal rituals of food preservation and survival in the rural South. The poem captures the physicality of these acts and their emotional resonance, balancing the hardships of work with the comforts of shared moments and enduring traditions. Through vivid imagery and a tone steeped in reflection, Young explores the intersections of sustenance, memory, and the bonds forged through ritual.

The opening lines root the poem in the relentless labor of summer, where "Summer meant peeling: peaches, pears, July, all carved up." This vivid description immediately immerses the reader in the tactile world of food preparation. The rhythmic listing of fruits and months reflects the cyclical nature of the work, tying the seasons to the unyielding demands of preservation. The poem captures the paradox of abundance: the necessity of preserving the summer?s bounty for the leaner months ahead, even as the labor becomes exhausting.

The speaker?s personal connection to this process emerges with the striking comparison: "August was a tomato dropped / in boiling water, my skin coming right off." This metaphor blurs the line between the speaker’s experience and the food they prepare, emphasizing the intimacy and physical toll of this labor. The imagery of "peas, Lord, / after shelling all summer" underscores the monotony and fatigue of the task, with the invocation of "Lord" suggesting both exasperation and reverence for the tradition.

Preservation extends beyond food to the personal, as seen in "Mama could barely reel me in from the red clay long enough to wrap my hair with string." This line captures the interplay of freedom and control, where the speaker’s carefree play in the outdoors is momentarily halted for the ritual of hair care. The tightness of the string, "so tight / I couldn?t think," parallels the discipline and structure required in both the preservation of food and the maintenance of personal appearance. The enduring result, hair that "lasted all summer like ashy knees," mirrors the long-term value of the preserved food, both acts carrying the weight of practicality and resilience.

The moment of disruption—"One Thanksgiving, while saying grace we heard what sounded like a gunshot / ran to the back porch to see peach glass everywhere"—shifts the tone to one of reflection on fragility. The image of the jar exploding from lack of air introduces a metaphor for the pressures of containment and the delicate balance required in both preservation and life. The incident underscores the care and attention needed in these acts, where even small miscalculations can result in loss.

The transition to the comforts of winter highlights the payoff of these grueling tasks: "Only good thing bout them saving days was knowing they?d be over, that by Christmas afternoons turned to cakes." The listing of holiday treats—coconut cake, fruitcake, cushaw pie—evokes a sensory richness, contrasting the toil of summer with the indulgence of winter celebrations. These moments of reward affirm the value of labor and the rituals that bring families together.

The communal tradition of tasting peach brandy on Christmas Day becomes a focal point for connection and shared experience: "On Jesus? Day we?d go house to house tasting each family?s peach brandy." The act of tasting, described as something one could "stand only so much, a taste," captures the balance between celebration and restraint. The brandy, a product of careful preservation, serves as both a literal and figurative warmth amidst the cold, offering comfort and community in the face of hardship.

The closing lines tie the poem together with a reflection on resilience and the enduring bonds of family: "Huddling home, clutching each other in our handed down hand- / me-downs, we felt we was dying like a late fire." The image of a "late fire" emphasizes the waning warmth of the season and the struggle to hold onto comfort and sustenance. The prayer for the "homemade spirits" to warm them "most way home" highlights the interplay of faith, tradition, and survival, where rituals of sustenance become acts of hope and endurance.

Young’s use of colloquial language and fluid syntax enhances the poem’s intimacy, allowing the speaker’s voice to convey both the immediacy of memory and the layers of reflection. The enjambment mirrors the continuous, unbroken cycles of labor and tradition, while the sensory details ground the poem in the physicality of these acts.

"Saying Grace: The Preserving" is a masterful exploration of the labor and love that sustain families and communities. Through its vivid imagery and layered narrative, Kevin Young captures the essence of preservation—not just of food, but of memory, tradition, and connection. The poem offers a rich portrait of resilience and gratitude, inviting readers to reflect on the ways in which sustenance, both physical and spiritual, binds us to one another and to the rhythms of the seasons.

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