Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Carolyn Forché's poem "The Colonel" is a chilling and stark depiction of a brutal encounter with a military figure in an unnamed Latin American country. Through its documentary style and vivid details, the poem captures the tension, fear, and grotesque reality of authoritarian power.

The poem begins with a declaration: "WHAT YOU HAVE HEARD is true. I was in his house." This statement sets a tone of authenticity and immediacy, as if the speaker is confirming rumors or reports with their own firsthand experience. The casual domestic setting described—"His wife carried a tray of coffee and sugar. His daughter filed her nails, his son went out for the night"—contrasts sharply with the ominous presence of "a pistol on the cushion beside him" and the defensive measures like "broken bottles embedded in the walls" and "gratings like those in liquor stores" on the windows. These details suggest a façade of normalcy masking underlying violence and paranoia.

The poem moves through the evening with unsettling normalcy: dinner of "rack of lamb, good wine," and a maid serving "green mangoes, salt, a type of bread." The colonel's wife and the domestic details provide a veneer of civility. However, the underlying tension is palpable, especially when the narrator's friend signals with his eyes to "say nothing," indicating the dangerous nature of their host.

The narrative takes a horrifying turn when the colonel leaves the table and returns with "a sack used to bring groceries home," spilling "many human ears on the table." The shock of this act is heightened by the mundane comparison: "They were like dried peach halves." Forché's use of this simile underscores the casual brutality and dehumanization inherent in the colonel's actions.

The colonel's actions and words reveal his contempt for human rights and his cruelty. He shakes an ear in the guests' faces, drops it into a water glass where it "came alive," and declares his disdain for the "rights of anyone," telling the narrator to inform their people to "go fuck themselves." This explicit rejection of human rights and dignity is a powerful indictment of the oppressive regime the colonel represents.

The poem concludes with the colonel's mocking comment: "Something for your poetry, no?" This line serves as a chilling reminder of the dangerous intersection between art and politics, and the potential consequences of bearing witness to atrocities. The final image of "ears on the floor" catching "this scrap of his voice" and being "pressed to the ground" reinforces the pervasive sense of surveillance and the literal silencing of dissent.

"The Colonel" by Carolyn Forché is a compelling and disturbing portrayal of power and violence. Through its stark, unembellished language and precise details, the poem confronts the reader with the reality of political repression and the human cost of tyranny. The poem's documentary style and visceral imagery make it a powerful piece that resonates with the themes of witnessing and speaking truth to power.

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