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THE SCRIVENER'S ROSES; FOR MARVIN FISHER, by                 Poet's Biography

"The Scrivener's Roses; For Marvin Fisher" by Norman Dubie is a vast and intricately woven poem that spans moments of profound historical reflection, personal memories, and surreal visions. It grapples with themes of war, death, and the haunting remnants of history, infused with a profound meditation on the human condition across different eras and settings. The poem is expansive in scope, moving through various narrative vignettes that link the personal with the universal, marked by Dubie’s characteristic blend of historical detail and vivid, often disturbing imagery.

Part I

The poem opens with a scene of natural life and death at sea, focusing on seagulls flying over a bay where war and suffering are imminent. The gulls, dividing to reveal a patch of blue sky, symbolize a momentary glimpse of peace amidst chaos. The focus quickly shifts to a grim scene on a gun-carriage, setting a tone of brutality and loss. This part of the poem is steeped in the gruesome realities of war—the dead, the wounded, and the stark procedures of wartime medicine, as surgeons prepare for an amputation. The juxtaposition of the natural world with the violent human world is stark and unsettling, framing the human conflict within the larger, indifferent context of nature.

Part II

The second part plunges into a horrific scene during Sherman’s march, where Union soldiers desecrate the bodies of nuns in a churchyard turned battlefield. The graphic depiction of soldiers dancing with the dead, set against a backdrop of a ruined convent, is a chilling reflection on the dehumanization and moral decay wrought by war. The imagery is macabre and vivid, with a stark portrayal of the cruelty and barbarism that can emerge in wartime. This section serves as a grim reminder of the darker aspects of human nature and the profound impacts of conflict on individual dignity and communal sanctity.

Part III

In the final section, the poem shifts back to a more personal narrative, focusing on Herman Melville, who reflects on the war and his own experiences. The setting transitions to a domestic scene, contrasting sharply with the brutal images of the previous sections. Melville, in contemplation on his porch, becomes a link between the personal and historical narratives that Dubie explores. This section intertwines themes of memory, historical reflection, and the mundane aspects of life, suggesting a continuity and interconnection of human experiences across time and space.

The poem’s closing lines circle back to the impact of the written word, symbolized by the "Antigone of paper," a reference to one of the sisters working at the paper mill, now deceased. Her legacy, like that of the letters in the Dead Letter Office, intertwines with personal and historical narratives, suggesting the enduring power of words to capture, commemorate, and convey the human spirit.

Overall, Dubie’s "The Scrivener's Roses; For Marvin Fisher" is a powerful, sprawling work that deftly uses historical and personal narratives to explore profound themes of life, death, and the human condition. The poem’s vivid imagery and emotional depth make it a compelling reflection on the ways in which history, memory, and identity are intricately woven into the fabric of human experiences.

POEM TEXT: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/browse?contentId=34062


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