Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"For Louis Zukofsky 1904-1978" is a poem written by Joel Oppenheimer as a tribute to the American poet Louis Zukofsky, who was a key figure in the Objectivist movement of the 1930s and 1940s. The poem was first published in the magazine "American Poetry Review" in 1978, the year of Zukofsky's death.

Explanation:

The poem is a eulogy for Zukofsky, expressing the speaker's admiration for his dedication to his art and his integrity as a person. The speaker addresses Zukofsky directly, using the second-person pronoun "you" throughout the poem. The poem is structured as a series of questions, reflecting the speaker's attempt to come to terms with Zukofsky's passing.

Poetic Elements:

• Form: The poem consists of a series of rhetorical questions, with each line beginning with the phrase "What will we do without you?"
• Tone: The tone of the poem is mournful and reverential, reflecting the speaker's admiration for Zukofsky and his contributions to poetry.
• Imagery: The poem contains vivid imagery, such as the image of Zukofsky's "eyes like water" and his "hands / chiseled by a blind grace."
• Allusion: The poem contains an allusion to the Biblical story of the prophet Elijah being taken up into heaven, with the speaker asking "Where have you gone, Elijah?"

Conclusion:

"For Louis Zukofsky 1904-1978" is a heartfelt tribute to a fellow poet and a reflection on the impact that Zukofsky had on the speaker and on poetry as a whole. The poem captures the sense of loss and the admiration for Zukofsky's dedication to his craft that many of his contemporaries felt upon his passing.

Poem Snippet:

"What will we do without you, Louis Zukofsky,

you with your eyes like water, hands

chiseled by a blind grace, your words

falling into place like chimes in the mind?"

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