Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Robert Pinsky’s "Visions of Daniel" delves into the rich, complex character of the biblical Daniel, exploring his role as a seer and interpreter in the courts of ancient Babylon. Pinsky captures the mystique and the ambiguity of Daniel's position, a figure revered and feared by the Babylonian kings yet regarded with suspicion and disdain by his own people.

The poem opens with a description of Daniel as a "Magician, appointed officer / Of the crown." This portrayal immediately sets him apart as someone who thrives within the corridors of power, endowed with a mysterious and potentially unsettling authority. The mention of Daniel's "golden curly head" and "smooth skin" conveys an image of youthful vitality, while his "unreadable tawny eyes" suggest a depth of perception and an enigmatic quality that keeps others at a distance. These physical attributes, combined with his favor in the court, mark Daniel as both an insider and an outsider—trusted by the rulers of Babylon but alienated from his own people.

Pinsky alludes to Daniel's history in the Babylonian court, noting that he was a "former favorite" of Nebuchadnezzar's chief eunuch, who taught him "the Chaldean language and courtly ways." This education and grooming for a life of service in the Babylonian court include the giving of a new name, "Belteshazzar," which distances Daniel further from his Jewish roots. The luxurious setting of "silk and Egyptian linen" emphasizes the opulence of his life in the palace, a life that likely arouses both envy and resentment among those outside the court.

The poem then shifts to the perspective of Daniel's fellow Jews, who "disliked him" and regarded him with suspicion. Pinsky portrays this animosity through the imagery of "pious gossips in the soukh," who spread rumors that Daniel is "unclean" and accuse him of having "smeared his body with thick / Yellowish sperm of lion / Before he went into the den." This vivid and somewhat grotesque image suggests a ritualistic defilement, marking Daniel as permanently tainted by his experience in the lion's den. The smell of the lion's sperm—"indelible" and ever-present—symbolizes the permanent transformation and alienation that Daniel undergoes, a man who will "reek / Of beast forever." This depiction underscores the theme of estrangement and the idea that Daniel, despite his wisdom and success, is marked by his experiences in a way that makes him both powerful and isolated.

The poem then recounts Daniel's interactions with the kings of Babylon, starting with Nebuchadnezzar, who "feared him / For generations." Pinsky evokes the famous vision of Nebuchadnezzar's dream, which Daniel interprets with chilling accuracy: the great statue with a "head of gold," "heart / And arms of silver," "belly and thighs of brass," and "legs of iron" that ultimately falls, leaving the "clay and iron / And brass and gold and silver / Lay shattered like chaff on the / Threshingfloor in summer." This vision, symbolic of the inevitable decline of empires, terrifies Nebuchadnezzar and drives him to madness, "driven / To eat grass like the oxen." The transformation of Nebuchadnezzar into a beastly figure—his "hair matted like feathers," his fingers "hooked like the claw of the raven"—serves as a powerful metaphor for the fragility of human power and the thin line between civilization and savagery.

Despite the passage of time, Daniel remains "still youthful years later" when another king, Nebuchadnezzar's son Belshazzar, encounters the ominous "bodiless hand" that writes "Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin" on the wall. This event is one of the most famous in the Book of Daniel, and Pinsky captures its eerie and portentous nature. Daniel's interpretation of the writing—"You are finished"—is delivered with the same quiet authority that has characterized his dealings with the Babylonian kings. This moment reinforces Daniel's role as a harbinger of doom, a figure who sees and speaks the truth, no matter how unwelcome it may be.

In "Visions of Daniel," Pinsky explores the duality of Daniel's character—his role as both a revered and feared figure in the Babylonian court and his estrangement from his own people. Through rich imagery and a narrative that intertwines history, myth, and prophecy, Pinsky delves into the complexities of power, faith, and identity. Daniel emerges as a man shaped by his unique experiences, marked by his encounters with the divine and the monstrous, and forever standing at the intersection of different worlds, never fully belonging to any of them.

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