Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"The Hiding Place" by Jorie Graham is a hauntingly vivid recollection of the civil unrest in Paris during 1968, a time marked by widespread strikes and protests. Through personal memories interwoven with the collective experiences of those involved, Graham captures the chaotic and tumultuous atmosphere of the time.

The poem opens with a stark statement: "The last time I saw it was 1968. / Paris France. The time of the disturbances." This sets the historical context, immediately immersing the reader in the period of social upheaval. The mention of claims, school closures, and the massive strike by workers and students underscores the scale and intensity of the events.

Graham's use of imagery is powerful and evocative, painting a picture of the protests and their aftermath: "Marches, sit-ins, helicopters, gas. / They stopped you at gunpoint asking for papers." These lines convey the pervasive tension and danger, with the presence of helicopters and gas suggesting a militarized response to the civil disobedience.

The poet recounts her personal involvement, describing nights spent in the halls and encounters with leaders: "Hurrying in the dawn looking for a certain leader / I found his face above an open streetfire. / No he said, tell them no concessions." This scene emphasizes the determination and resilience of the protesters, as well as the harsh conditions they endured.

The poem's vivid detail continues as Graham describes the secret donations of supplies: "crates of fruit donated in secret; / and torn sheets (for tear gas) tossed down from shuttered windows; / and bread; and blankets; stolen from the firehouse." These acts of solidarity highlight the community's efforts to support one another amidst the chaos.

The description of the CRS (government police) raids is particularly harrowing: "The CRS (the government police) would swarm in around dawn / in small blue vans and round us up. / Once I watched the searchlights play on some flames. / The flames push up into the corridor of light." The imagery of searchlights and flames creates a surreal, almost dystopian atmosphere, emphasizing the violence and fear experienced by the protesters.

Graham's account of her time in a crowded cell is both visceral and poignant: "In the cell we were so crowded no one could sit or lean. / People peed on each other. I felt a girl / vomiting gently onto my back." This graphic depiction underscores the inhumane conditions and the physical and emotional toll on those detained.

The beating of a pregnant girl by a uniformed man is a stark and brutal moment in the poem: "Later a man in a uniform came in with a stick. / Started beating here and there, found the girl in her eighth month. / He beat her frantically over and over." This act of violence is a powerful reminder of the cruelty and brutality faced by the protesters.

The poem shifts to a reflection on memory and perception: "I remember the cell vividly / but is it from a photograph? ... Do I see it from inside now—his hands, her face—or / is it from the news account?" Graham questions the reliability of her memories, blending personal experience with media representations.

The closing lines of the poem capture the aftermath of the unrest and the return to normalcy: "They made agreements we all returned to work. / The government fell then it was all right again." The abrupt resolution underscores the temporary nature of political change and the resilience of the human spirit.

"The Hiding Place" by Jorie Graham is a powerful and evocative exploration of a significant historical moment, capturing the intensity, fear, and resilience of those involved. Through vivid imagery and personal reflection, Graham invites readers to witness the events of 1968 and to consider the broader implications of social unrest and political change.

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