Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Somebody'll Hav' to Shoot Ya Down," Norman Dubie crafts a vivid and multifaceted narrative that intertwines themes of mortality, memory, and the mundane aspects of life, set against a backdrop rich with imagery and emotional depth. The poem utilizes a striking juxtaposition of the natural and human-made worlds, weaving together the life of a bargeman with the iconic figure of Charlie Parker, the legendary jazz saxophonist.

The poem begins with an unusual and striking image: Charlie Parker is metaphorically running a tow-line from a red barge to a worm in the gut of a living starling. This surreal opening sets the tone for a poem that operates on both literal and metaphorical levels, blending the everyday with the fantastical. The worm, described as segments of water colored with nickel leaf tobacco, evokes a sense of the organic infused with human vice or indulgence, a theme that recurs throughout Dubie’s work.

The narrative then shifts to the bargeman, introducing a scene filled with personal and historical depth. The barge, laden with potatoes, becomes a stage on which the bargeman's life unfolds. His act of pissing into the river while reflecting on his daughter's death from fever during the first polio epidemic adds layers of personal tragedy and historical context, grounding the poem in a specific time and place.

This personal reflection is interrupted by a shift back to the bargeman's past, involving his marriage to the younger sister with the thick orange braid. This flashback is filled with vivid sensory details—the bright blouse of the younger sister, the snow she spits into his ear, which evoke the initial stages of love or attraction. However, this romantic imagery is contrasted sharply with her utterance of "thanatos" in her sleep, introducing a dark undercurrent to the poem. Thanatos, the Greek word for death, suggests a preoccupation with mortality that pervades even her unconscious mind.

The mention of "thanatos" serves as a philosophical and thematic pivot in the poem, linking personal history with universal themes of death and peace. It suggests that beneath the surface of daily life and its struggles—symbolized by the physical and emotional journey of the bargeman—there lies a deeper, more existential layer concerning the human condition and our reconciliations with mortality.

Dubie's use of Charlie Parker as a metaphorical element in the poem connects the personal and the universal, illustrating how art (represented by Parker's saxophone) transcends the immediate and often painful realities of life. The bargeman's reflection that "his sax was a fact" implies a recognition of the transformative power of music and art in confronting, and perhaps transcending, the harsh realities of existence.

In summary, "Somebody'll Hav' to Shoot Ya Down" is a complex and layered poem that explores the interconnections between personal history, artistic expression, and existential themes. Dubie masterfully weaves together images and narratives that challenge the reader to consider the ways in which we navigate the turbulent waters of life, memory, and mortality.