Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Louis Zukofsky’s "A -- 4" is a kaleidoscopic meditation on light, memory, music, and spiritual longing. Like the preceding movements of "A," this poem is dense with allusion, fragmented imagery, and a blending of the personal and the universal. It juxtaposes scenes of natural and artificial light, spiritual invocation, and human traditions with reflections on generational change and cultural evolution. Through its intricate layering, the poem explores the enduring power of art, faith, and memory amidst the shifting tides of time.

The poem begins with a vivid description of light, both natural and human-made: “Giant sparkler, / Lights of the river.” This imagery situates the reader in a dynamic space of reflection and movement, where the interplay of water and light becomes a central motif. The mention of “Horses turning” and “Lanterns swing behind horses” evokes a pastoral past, contrasting with the modernity implied by the “light of a truck.” This tension between the old and the new, the natural and the industrial, permeates the poem, reflecting Zukofsky’s broader concern with the continuity and rupture of cultural traditions.

Zukofsky then transitions into a more introspective meditation on home and identity: “Wherever we put our hats is our home / Our aged heads are our homes.” This sentiment ties physical place to the internal, suggesting that home resides within memory and identity rather than external structures. The line “His Stars of Deuteronomy are with us” introduces a spiritual dimension, linking the poem’s exploration of light to divine guidance and the enduring presence of sacred texts. The stars of Deuteronomy symbolize both a literal and metaphorical illumination, guiding the faithful in moments of uncertainty.

The poem’s invocation, “We prayed, Open, God, Gate of Psalmody,” underscores its spiritual yearning. The speaker seeks a connection to the divine through song, echoing the tradition of psalms as a bridge between humanity and the sacred. The plea, “Do not turn away Your sun,” reflects a desire for continued grace and presence, tying the celestial imagery of light to spiritual sustenance. Yet, this yearning is tinged with a sense of futility and emptiness: “Even the Death has gone out of us — we are void.” Here, Zukofsky confronts the fragility of faith and tradition in the face of cultural and personal dissolution.

The poem’s middle section shifts in tone and perspective, incorporating the song of Shimaunu-San, a lament of love and longing. This song introduces a distinct cultural and emotional voice, expanding the poem’s scope to encompass global and timeless expressions of human yearning. The refrain, “Shimaunu-San, my clear star,” connects the earlier celestial imagery to the personal and romantic, suggesting that stars function as both cosmic symbols and intimate guides. The song’s rich imagery—“red flowers,” “cherry sprays,” “white blossoms”—evokes both the ephemeral beauty of nature and the enduring nature of love and devotion.

The invocation of Yehoash and his poetic reflections roots the poem in Jewish cultural and spiritual heritage. Yehoash’s voice, with its emphasis on the connection between humanity and the natural world—“Grow my limbs with sap of forests”—resonates with Zukofsky’s recurring theme of interconnectedness. The lines “Heavier from day to day / Grow my limbs” suggest a burden borne by tradition and memory, yet also an organic growth that ties past and present.

The final section reflects on the Bach family’s musical legacy, tying together the themes of art, lineage, and continuity. The anecdote about Sebastian Bach’s ancestor playing the lute while the mill ground flour—“A pretty noise the pair must have made”—celebrates the integration of everyday life with artistic creation. This merging of the mundane and the sublime mirrors Zukofsky’s own poetic method, where fragments of life coalesce into a larger, unified vision.

The poem closes with images of loss and renewal: “My petted birds are dead” and “I will gather a chain / Of marguerites.” These lines suggest a cycle of mourning and remembrance, where the act of gathering and creating becomes a way to transcend grief. The imagery of flowers, particularly the red anemone, connects the personal with the symbolic, invoking both fragility and resilience.

In "A -- 4," Zukofsky creates a work that is both deeply personal and expansively universal. Through its interweaving of light, music, and tradition, the poem explores the enduring interplay between memory and creation, the past and the present, the sacred and the secular. Its fragmented structure mirrors the complexity of human experience, offering a vision of continuity amidst change and dissolution. As part of "A," this section exemplifies Zukofsky’s ability to craft poetry that is at once challenging, beautiful, and profoundly resonant.

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