Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Returning to the Cemetery in the Old Prague Ghetto" is a poem by Marge Piercy, first published in 1976. The poem explores themes of memory, loss, and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of oppression.

Explanation: 

The poem takes place in the old Jewish ghetto of Prague, a city with a rich history of Jewish culture and heritage. The speaker describes walking through the cemetery, where the gravestones are overgrown and the markers are fading away. Despite this decay, the speaker feels a connection to the ancestors buried there, and acknowledges the role they played in shaping the speaker's identity.

The poem then shifts to a more personal tone, as the speaker reflects on the loss of loved ones in their own life. The speaker finds comfort in the idea that their loved ones are not truly gone, but are instead present in memories and in the physical world around them.

Poetic Elements:

• Imagery: Piercy uses vivid descriptions of the cemetery and the gravestones to create a sense of place and atmosphere.
• Repetition: The phrase "I come" is repeated throughout the poem, emphasizing the speaker's connection to the cemetery and the people buried there.
• Tone: The poem has a melancholy yet hopeful tone, reflecting the bittersweet nature of remembering loved ones who have passed away.
• Metaphor: The image of the fading gravestones serves as a metaphor for the impermanence of life, while the idea of memories living on represents the persistence of the human spirit.
• Structure: The poem is divided into four stanzas, with a consistent ABAB rhyme scheme in each stanza.
• Personification: The speaker personifies the gravestones, describing them as "mute and stolid sentinels" and giving them a sense of character and personality.
• Allusion: The reference to the Jewish ghetto of Prague alludes to a specific historical context and adds depth to the poem's themes of memory and loss.

Conclusion: 

"Returning to the Cemetery in the Old Prague Ghetto" is a poignant exploration of the human experience of memory and loss. Piercy's vivid imagery and use of metaphor create a sense of universality, as the poem speaks to the ways in which we all grapple with the impermanence of life and the power of memory to connect us to our past and our loved ones.

Poem Snippet:

"I come to the cemetery of the Old Prague ghetto

and look down at the overgrown stones

where the Hebrew letters are fading away

as if carved in sandstone by the wind's own breath."