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Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

IN A ROW, by         Recitation     Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography

Stephen Dobyns' poem "In a Row" confronts the reader with the unsettling realization of the indirect complicity that individuals may have in global atrocities through the economic and societal systems they participate in. The poem meticulously delineates the mundane transactions of daily life, such as receiving a letter from a mailman or installing a light, and connects these ordinary moments to a chilling outcome: the photograph of six children lying neatly in a row in Central America. This stark juxtaposition serves as a powerful commentary on the unintended consequences of our economic actions and the interconnectedness of global systems.

The poem begins by enumerating various professionals and workers—the mailman, a teacher, an electrician, and others—highlighting the web of economic transactions that bind people together in society. Each of these interactions involves a financial exchange, a payment for services rendered, which the speaker acknowledges as contributing "a little" or "a part of it." This setup establishes a foundation for the poem's central revelation, emphasizing how individuals, through their everyday economic activities, unknowingly contribute to distant events.

The shift to the photograph from Central America marks a pivotal moment in the poem, transforming the previously benign list of economic transactions into a narrative about the dark side of economic interconnectedness. The image of the six children serves as a somber reminder of the human cost associated with conflicts, many of which are fueled by international economic and political dynamics. The speaker's acknowledgment that "they all paid for it" universalizes the guilt, implicating a broad swath of society, from celebrities to religious figures, in the perpetuation of violence.

The poem's closing lines deepen the sense of personal complicity as the speaker reflects on how the money earned from their own labor—teaching, writing, lecturing—inevitably becomes entangled in these global systems. The metaphor of the money rolling off into the world, yet still bearing the speaker's name, poignantly captures the idea that one cannot easily dissociate from the broader impacts of their economic activities. The imagery of living "in a box with a tight lid" suggests a willful ignorance or an inability to confront the full scope of one's indirect involvement in global suffering.

The detailed description of the assailants—captured in the snapshot of a cap, a button, the slide of a cartridge, and the wiping of a brow with a handkerchief—serves to humanize the agents of violence, making the connection to the speaker's (and by extension, the reader's) complicity even more direct and disturbing. The declaration that "I paid for that one, that one belongs to me" starkly challenges the notion of innocence in economic transactions, suggesting that the financial systems we participate in can have far-reaching ethical implications.

"In a Row" is a powerful exploration of the ethical complexities of living in a globalized world, where the boundaries between personal responsibility and collective action are blurred. By drawing a line from everyday economic activities to the horrors of violence in distant lands, Dobyns invites readers to reflect on their role within these systems and the moral implications of their seemingly innocuous actions. The poem serves as a poignant reminder of the hidden costs of economic interconnectedness and the need for greater awareness and ethical consideration in our daily lives.


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