Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Donald Hall's poem "Assassin" presents a chilling and detached depiction of a precise and calculated act of violence. Through stark imagery and a methodical narrative, Hall explores the mechanical and impersonal nature of an assassination, drawing parallels between the movements of a crane lifting a metal spider and the actions of a sniper preparing for a kill.

The poem opens with the image of a spider made of aluminum, being slowly lowered by a crane outside a glass building. The description of the spider as "huge" and "made of aluminum" immediately evokes a sense of artificiality and menace. The spider's legs "crawl in the air" as it dangles, creating an eerie and unsettling scene. The spider's "metal skin" glinting in the sun adds to the impression of a cold, inhuman presence.

The scene shifts to the narrator, who is kneeling at a wooden box in the shade. This setting contrasts sharply with the bright, metallic imagery of the spider. The narrator's eye-socket touching the felt eyepiece of a rifle scope suggests a sniper preparing to take a shot. The deliberate and precise nature of the narrator's actions is emphasized by the slow, methodical description: "a car rolls slowly into the crossed hairs / a head / enters the segments of a circle / hairs cross on a head."

The poem's tension builds as the narrator "squeezes slowly," mirroring the earlier description of the crane lowering the spider. The parallel between the crane's movements and the sniper's actions creates a sense of inevitability and mechanical precision. The act of killing is depicted as methodical and detached, with the sniper's movements as calculated and impersonal as the crane's.

After the shot is fired, the poem returns to the image of the crane lifting the spider. The spider's legs retract, and it becomes a sphere, a point of glinting aluminum, once again emphasizing its inhuman and mechanical nature. The crane's movements are described in the same slow, deliberate manner as before, creating a cyclical and repetitive structure that reinforces the sense of detachment and inevitability.

The final lines of the poem describe the crane swerving the spider over a ledge to its "nest on a high building / humming in a cement hole / electric glass." This imagery suggests a return to a sterile and artificial environment, devoid of life or emotion. The spider, now a mere point of aluminum, is reabsorbed into the industrial landscape, completing the cycle of mechanical precision and impersonal violence.

"Assassin" by Donald Hall uses stark and precise imagery to explore the detached and mechanical nature of an assassination. The poem's structure and narrative parallel the actions of the crane and the sniper, creating a chilling depiction of calculated violence. Through this methodical and impersonal portrayal, Hall invites readers to reflect on the dehumanizing aspects of modern warfare and the cold efficiency with which life can be taken.

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