Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Eleanor Wilner’s poem "Up Against It" offers a poignant meditation on violence, memory, and the persistence of life in the face of brutality. The poem's imagery is vivid and haunting, with a focus on a whitewashed wall marked by black holes, symbolizing the execution of Federico Garcia Lorca during the Spanish Civil War. The poem begins with the starkness of the wall, "white, whitewash lime / that shines in the sun till white is pure pain," evoking the intensity of light that blinds and sears, mirroring the sharpness of memory and the brutality of violence.

The wall is not just a physical structure but a canvas of history, marked by the "black holes" that resemble a "child's puzzle," waiting for a line to make sense of them. These dots signify the bullet holes from an execution, a representation of the violence inflicted upon Lorca, a poet with a "fire in his hands." The poet's blood, imagined as a "red / door opening into the future," represents a sacrificial act that the perpetrators believed would lead to their desired future, a future free from the unpredictability of life, symbolized by the "gypsy / wind."

Wilner deftly weaves the personal and the historical, situating Lorca's death within a larger context of systematic violence and oppression. The poem acknowledges the futility of violent attempts to control and dominate, highlighting the absurdity and the tragic irony of the executioners' actions. They believed that by killing Lorca, they could still the unpredictable elements of life, but in reality, they only created a deeper, more haunting legacy.

The poem then confronts the reader with a series of questions, exploring the potential responses to such an act of violence. Should we "paste up the placards / of a revolution in which we no longer believe"? This question touches on the disillusionment with political movements that often fail to achieve their lofty goals. Should we "tear down the wall, knowing another stands behind it," acknowledging the persistence of oppression and the seemingly endless cycle of violence?

The poem's central metaphor of the wall, with its holes marking the place of execution, serves as a powerful symbol of both the permanence of violence and the possibility of renewal. The proposal to "plant flowering vines along the wall / to cover the record" suggests a form of resistance through creation and growth. The image of the vines, with their "urge to go on growing," embodies hope and resilience, contrasting with the destructive forces that created the holes in the wall.

The poem reaches a crescendo with the hopeful vision of life persisting against all odds. The "long twilights" and the "hard work / of planting and watering" represent the slow, patient labor required to heal and rebuild. This imagery invokes the idea of nurturing and caring for the future, cultivating a space where new life can flourish. The reference to Lorca’s famous line "verde, te quiero verde" (green, I love you green) reinforces this connection to life and renewal, celebrating the vitality and persistence of nature.

In the final stanzas, Wilner offers a transformative vision, where the past's violence is overshadowed by the burgeoning life. The "ear-splitting crack / as the end is riven by budding" signifies a powerful moment of creation, where new growth breaks through the old wounds. This transformation is a testament to the enduring power of life and creativity, suggesting that despite the marks of violence and oppression, the natural world and the human spirit continue to grow and thrive.

"Up Against It" is a testament to the resilience of life and the human spirit. Wilner's masterful use of imagery and metaphor offers a meditation on violence, memory, and the possibility of renewal. The poem challenges us to consider how we respond to the marks of history, urging us to cultivate growth and resilience in the face of brutality.

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