Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Kevin Young’s "Saying Grace: The Slaughter" is a vivid meditation on the intersections of memory, survival, and the rituals of sustenance. The poem blends sensory details with an undercurrent of cultural reflection, tracing the rhythms of a life shaped by necessity and resourcefulness. Through its portrayal of the labor and ingenuity involved in food preparation, Young explores themes of heritage, endurance, and the inescapable connection between sustenance and sacrifice.

The opening line, "Everything we ate was on foot," immediately grounds the reader in a world where food is not a distant commodity but a visceral presence, alive and connected to the daily work of survival. The absence of modern conveniences—"We didn?t have the Norge or the Frigidaire, only salt to keep"—situates the narrative in a past where preservation was an art born of necessity. Salt, both practical and symbolic, underscores the labor-intensive process of making food last, with "Autumn?s hog went in brine for days, swimming" capturing the ritual of preparation. The image of the hog "swimming" in brine is simultaneously mundane and haunting, reminding the reader of the transformation from life to sustenance.

The speaker’s conflicting emotions toward this process are evident in the juxtaposition of "I loved winter & its chitlins" and "boy I hated cleaning." Chitlins, a symbol of both tradition and making do with what is available, carry a dual significance. They evoke nostalgia for the flavors of winter but also the laborious and unglamorous work involved in preparing them. The description of cleaning chitlins—"cut innards in strips, put water in one end, held the other tight then seesawed them back & forth"—is visceral and detailed, highlighting the intimacy and effort required in every stage of this process.

The poem does not shy away from the racial and economic realities of food production: "White folks got first pick, even of guts." This line underscores the structural inequalities that dictated who had access to which parts of the animal. While white consumers claimed the choice cuts, the speaker’s family found sustenance in what was left, transforming offal into a seasonal ritual of resilience and ingenuity. The speaker’s insistence on cleanliness—"I always make sure folks clean them a second time. Don?t eat chitlins at just anyone?s filthy old"—reveals an awareness of both tradition and the practicalities of safety and pride in preparation.

The transition to chickens in the second section shifts the tone slightly, introducing a more immediate and physical act of slaughter: "Before / twilight, Mama said go get me a hen & me in that swept yard, swinging one round by the neck, the pop, then dropping it." The violence of this moment is conveyed with stark simplicity, capturing the pragmatic nature of taking a life to sustain another. The details of "the pop" and the chicken "flapping awhile before it fell, headless, a sight" evoke a visceral reaction, reminding readers of the cost of sustenance.

Young’s imagery continues to reflect the cyclical and elemental nature of this existence. The feathers of the plucked chickens "told us that soon cold would come indoors like greens after / first frost." This simile connects the act of slaughter to the rhythms of the seasons, where survival is deeply tied to the land and its cycles. The description of food tasting "so different & fresh" after the frost mirrors the way the hardships of winter are both anticipated and met with a certain reverence.

The speaker’s ambivalence toward these memories is clear in lines like, "but I wouldn?t want back those days for all the known world. No sir." While the narrative is steeped in nostalgia for the flavors and traditions of the past, it also acknowledges the harshness and toil that defined them. The humor and pathos of "Some nights dinner would just get up & run off cause I hadn?t wrung it right" further illustrate the speaker’s youthful inexperience, offering a moment of levity amidst the weight of the subject matter.

The closing lines bring the reflection full circle: "others we?d eat roosters tougher / & older than we were, meat so rough Mama couldn?t cut it with her brown, brown eyes." This striking image ties the toughness of the meat to the resilience of the family itself, particularly the figure of Mama, whose "brown, brown eyes" become a symbol of determination and tenderness. The repetition of "brown" emphasizes her strength and presence, suggesting that her gaze and resolve were integral to sustaining the family through these times.

Young’s use of conversational language, vivid imagery, and enjambment captures the rhythm and texture of oral storytelling. The poem’s structure, divided into two distinct yet interconnected sections, mirrors the way memory is compartmentalized and relived, moving fluidly between the sensory details of labor and the broader cultural and emotional resonances of those experiences.

"Saying Grace: The Slaughter" is a powerful exploration of the ties between food, memory, and survival. Kevin Young crafts a narrative that honors the labor and ingenuity of those who make do with what they have, while also grappling with the physical and emotional costs of sustenance. Through its rich imagery and reflective tone, the poem invites readers to consider the ways in which tradition and necessity shape our understanding of nourishment, sacrifice, and resilience.

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