Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Alicia Suskin Ostriker’s poem "Poem Beginning with a Line by Dickinson" starts by borrowing Emily Dickinson’s famous line, "After great pain a formal feeling comes," and uses it as a springboard to explore the aftermath of happiness and the complex emotional landscapes that follow intense experiences, whether painful or joyful. The poem is both a reflection on personal moments of connection and a broader meditation on the interplay between formality and informality in our emotional responses.

The poem opens by questioning the natural conclusion of Dickinson’s assertion: "If that is the case, then after great happiness / Should a feeling come that is somehow informal?" The speaker’s immediate and enthusiastic answer, "Yes, yes, a thousand times yes," sets the tone for the rest of the poem, which delves into the spontaneous, unguarded nature of the emotions that follow happiness. This informal feeling is likened to the passionate, unrestrained love of Catullus for Lesbia—a love that is both excruciatingly sweet and knowingly flawed. The reference to Catullus, a Roman poet known for his intense and often contradictory emotions, underscores the idea that great happiness, like great pain, can lead to a disordered and chaotic state of mind.

Ostriker vividly describes Catullus and Lesbia’s intimacy, noting the bittersweet nature of their affection. Even as they are deeply aware of each other's flaws—Lesbia's betrayal and avarice—they continue to revel in the sweetness of their kisses and the excruciating joy of their closeness. The imagery of Lesbia "twist[ing] her body alongside him on the couch" and "open[ing] her lips, like a small animal eating" highlights the innocence and rawness of their interaction, making their affection seem almost childlike in its purity, despite the underlying awareness of its impermanence.

The poem then shifts to the speaker's own life, moving from the classical past to a modern, personal context. The speaker recounts a day of triumph, where they taught a seminar on Blake’s "Four Zoas" with brilliance, leading their students to new discoveries about the poem and Imagination. The description of the seminar, with its "twenty / New and delicious flavors," captures the joy of intellectual connection and the satisfaction of seeing students engage deeply with the material and with each other. The example of Matthew, a student who is "eloquent" despite being "a weird longhair / Certified schizophrenic," and how Deirdre, another student, listens and accepts him, symbolizes the breaking down of barriers and the creation of a more inclusive, understanding community. This moment of connection and acceptance is itself a form of happiness, informal and spontaneous, rooted in mutual respect and empathy.

The speaker’s personal narrative continues with an account of a more intimate moment at home, where they manage to calm their son from a tantrum. The comparison of the son’s tantrum to a "two-seater into some freak / Thunderstorm" adds a dramatic, almost cinematic quality to the scene, highlighting the intensity of the child’s emotions and the potential for the situation to spiral out of control. However, instead of escalating the tension, the speaker patiently waits, a departure from their usual response, and successfully helps the child "touch down" from his emotional storm. The moment of calm that follows, where they sit together on the couch, eating chocolates and discussing obstacles, captures the informal, tender aftermath of a difficult but ultimately resolved situation.

The conversation with the son about "bad thoughts" and the fear of going crazy adds depth to the poem, touching on the universal fears that can accompany both adults and children. The speaker's reassurance, passing the box of chocolates and saying, "Not to worry, honey, / That wouldn't happen to him," underscores the nurturing, protective role of a parent, and the informal, loving gesture of offering chocolates symbolizes comfort and security. The poem ends with a kiss, echoing the earlier reference to Catullus and Lesbia, but this time the kiss is a simple, happy one between parent and child, rooted in trust and love.

"Poem Beginning with a Line by Dickinson" is a meditation on the complexities of emotional life, the interplay between pain and happiness, and the informal, often spontaneous feelings that arise in the wake of intense experiences. Ostriker weaves together classical allusions, personal narrative, and rich imagery to explore how we navigate these emotional landscapes, finding connection, comfort, and joy even in the midst of life’s inevitable challenges. The poem suggests that, just as after great pain a formal feeling comes, after great happiness, there is an equally powerful, informal feeling that can bring us closer to others and to ourselves.

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