Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In Natasha Trethewey's poem "Accounting," the reader is introduced to an intimate scene of familial accounting, set against the backdrop of a warm night where "citronella candles" glow and "gold light" illuminates faces. The simple acts of counting coins and noting savings are rendered poetic, their significance elevating them from mere financial transactions to rituals of love, foresight, and survival. This poem weaves together themes of family, economic struggle, generational wisdom, and the uncertain future.

The domestic setting on the "porch" is significant. It represents a transitional space between the private domestic realm and the outside world, much like the counting activity the characters are involved in. It's a preparation for what lies beyond the safe confines of home; an act of bracing for the "seasons-winter coming."

The mother, indicated by "her tightly braided hair turning white," takes center stage as she teaches her child (presumably the speaker) about the importance of savings. She fills "paper casings like homemade sausage," an image rich in its domesticity and working-class essence. The phrase also doubles as a metaphor for making something useful and nourishing out of basic elements. This money, after all, will serve as sustenance through the hard times.

The "abacus clicking out our worth" signifies more than a sum of coins; it clicks out the worth of a family's efforts to remain solvent, of a mother's love, of a child's first understanding of economic stability. They "line the coins in neat rows," an act that parallels the mother's "tightly braided hair," emphasizing the role of order and structure in both personal grooming and economic security.

"Buried in jars beneath the house," the money becomes an extension of the home's very foundation. This symbolic burying portrays the savings not just as a financial safety net but also as an essential part of the family's stability and emotional well-being. This crawlspace of savings is "packed solid as any foundation," implying that their emotional and economic securities are intrinsically tied, as strong and as fragile as the house they live in.

A tension arises from the fact that while there's "money in the bank downtown," this money must be kept at home. The distinction raises questions about trust and the financial institutions that are supposed to safeguard economic well-being. In doing so, the poem subtly touches on broader social issues, such as economic inequality and the lack of institutional trust among marginalized communities.

In sum, "Accounting" by Natasha Trethewey crafts a powerful image of resilience and preparation. The counting of coins goes beyond economics to touch upon life lessons, generational wisdom, and the age-old endeavor to secure a future against the unpredictabilities that life brings. Trethewey elevates the ordinary act of counting money into a ritual filled with symbolic resonance, crafting an intimate story of family, wisdom, and love.

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