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Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | |||
Randall Jarrell's "The Survivor Among Graves" is a profound and contemplative meditation on the nature of survival, memory, and the existential weight carried by those who outlive their peers. Through rich imagery and reflective prose, Jarrell explores the tenuous relationship between the living and the dead, as well as the broader implications of war and loss. The poem opens with a stark contrast between the fields beyond the graves and the world of the living: "There are fields beyond. The world there obeys / The living Word; names, numbers do for this." This juxtaposition highlights the divide between life and death, where the living world is governed by order and the dead reside in a realm beyond such constraints. The graves, with their crosses, grass, and polished granite, symbolize the finality of death and the permanence of memory. Jarrell reflects on the sacrifices made by the dead: "These died that we might live – that I may live!" The survivor's recognition of this sacrifice underscores a sense of indebtedness and the burden of living in the aftermath of such loss. However, he notes that these markers of death are "customary, but not necessary," suggesting that the essence of life and death transcends physical memorials. The poem delves into the existential struggle of the survivor, who grapples with the meaning of life after such profound loss: "That all-replacing dream / Through which our dark lives led in waiting – / The dream I woke to, that holds you sleepers still." Here, Jarrell captures the sense of living in a dream-like state, suspended between past and present, life and death. The survivor's awakening to this reality is a jarring experience, as he contemplates the impact of war and the loss of meaning that follows: "What is it now, The War? A war now, numbered / As your lives and graves are numbered; that one can lose, / That we have lost." The poem explores the paradox of survival, where the very act of living becomes burdensome: "Lost too, the overmastering / Demand that delivered us from all demands / Except its metal Live – that left bare life / The sense life made." Jarrell suggests that the sheer act of survival strips life of its previous meaning, leaving behind a stark existence. The longing for simple pleasures, such as "reading the papers on a Sunday morning," becomes an unattainable dream, highlighting the survivor's sense of disconnection from everyday life. As the poem progresses, Jarrell reflects on the existential crisis faced by survivors: "Our lives had reached from seemed to us the sense / We had reached for; and we saw that we had lived / For some years longer than the rest within / The future where, the child says, we shall live." The future, once a realm of hope and possibility, now seems an empty promise, filled with the echoes of lost lives. The poem concludes with a meditation on the nature of existence and the relationship between the living and the dead: "What we remember / You are: a waiting…. Without you, all you dead, / What rag could wipe this scrawled slate clean of life." The dead, with their immortal ignorance, serve as a reminder of the futility of searching for meaning in a world marred by loss. The living, burdened by memory and survival, continue to seek solace and understanding, reaching out in "soundless supplication." In the final lines, Jarrell captures the essence of this existential struggle: "The haunters and the haunted, among grave, / Mirror each other sightlessly; in soundless / Supplication, a last unheard / Unison, reach to each other; Say again, / Say the voices, say again / That life is-what it is not; / That, somewhere, there is-something, something; / That we are waiting; that we are waiting." This repeated plea for reassurance and meaning underscores the perpetual state of waiting and the search for validation in a world that often feels empty and devoid of purpose. "The Survivor Among Graves" is a poignant and deeply reflective poem that captures the complexity of survival and the existential weight carried by those who live on after great loss. Through evocative imagery and contemplative prose, Jarrell explores the themes of memory, sacrifice, and the search for meaning, offering a profound meditation on the human condition.
| Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...IN THE CREVICE OF TIME by JOSEPHINE JACOBSEN SUBJECTED EARTH by ROBINSON JEFFERS THE GRAVE OF MRS. HEMANS by CECIL FRANCES ALEXANDER THOSE GRAVES IN ROME by LARRY LEVIS NOT TO BE DWELLED ON by HEATHER MCHUGH ONE LAST DRAW OF THE PIPE by PAUL MULDOON ETRUSCAN TOMB by JOHN FREDERICK NIMS ENDING WITH A LINE FROM LEAR by MARVIN BELL THE BOOK OF THE DEAD MAN (#58) by MARVIN BELL |
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