Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Eleanor Wilner's poem "Bailing Out—A Poem for the 1970s" evokes a powerful image of individuals trapped in a perilous situation, symbolizing the sense of entrapment and disillusionment that defined the decade. The poem opens with an allusion to Robert Frost’s "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," suggesting a familiar, pastoral setting but quickly subverts this expectation with a scene of crisis and entrapment.

The poem describes a failed landing, where the parachutes, described as "white silk, like shrouds," cover the woods. The metaphor of shrouds introduces a sense of mortality and doom, as the parachutes become symbols of death and confinement rather than rescue and safety. The imagery of "harnessed bodies" hanging helplessly, "treading air like water," creates a stark contrast between the anticipated gentle descent and the harsh reality of being ensnared by the trees.

Wilner uses the metaphor of a failed parachute jump to reflect on the broader experience of the 1970s, a time marked by unexpected turbulence and disillusionment. The line "We thought to float down easily—a simple thing like coming home" captures the initial naivety and optimism of the era, only to be thwarted by the "wilderness" and "gusts of wind" that take the parachutists off course. This "wilderness" represents the unanticipated complexities and challenges of the time, while the "gusts of wind" symbolize the unpredictable forces that disrupt plans and expectations.

The poem highlights the tenacity and impenetrability of the woods, a metaphor for the societal and political barriers that individuals faced. The woods' "reach" and how "impenetrable the place we left, and thought we knew, could be" underscores the disillusionment with familiar systems and structures that seemed unassailable.

As the individuals dangle helplessly, they become "unwilling pendulums that mark the time," a vivid image of their suspended state and the passage of time. The dream of rescue, that "someone will come and cut us down," reflects a lingering hope for salvation and relief from their predicament. However, the reality is stark: "There is nothing here but words, the calls we try the dark with," emphasizing the isolation and futility of their cries for help.

The poem's concluding lines reinforce the sense of shared but solitary despair. The voices they hear are "other voices like our own, other bodies tangled in the lines," highlighting a collective struggle where each individual is ensnared and unable to assist others. The repetition of the cry, "I can’t help you, help me," encapsulates the mutual helplessness and desperation that pervades the scene.

"Bailing Out—A Poem for the 1970s" serves as a poignant commentary on the era’s disillusionment and sense of entrapment. Wilner’s use of vivid, haunting imagery and metaphors captures the collective experience of a generation caught in a web of unforeseen challenges and searching for a way out, only to find themselves and others similarly ensnared. The poem resonates as a reflection on the persistent struggle for liberation and the yearning for connection and rescue amidst a landscape of isolation and despair.

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