Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Alicia Suskin Ostriker’s poem “Born in the U.S.A.” is a reflective and evocative piece that intertwines personal memory with broader cultural and political commentary. Through vivid imagery and a tone that shifts between nostalgia and defiance, Ostriker captures the essence of growing up in mid-20th century America, while also addressing the complexities and contradictions of the American experience.

The poem opens with a clear anchoring in time—1937, “not yet a war year though war was coming.” This setting immediately places the reader in a pre-World War II America, a time of impending change and uncertainty. The mention of “patent leather and bowtied photographers” evokes a sense of formality and tradition, hinting at the societal norms and expectations of that era.

Ostriker then shifts to a more personal reflection, describing herself as feeling “like a rusty Dodge.” This simile is telling—both in its evocation of age and wear, and in its reference to a specific brand of car that symbolizes American manufacturing and industrial strength. By comparing herself to a Dodge, Ostriker subtly critiques the commodification of identity in a consumer-driven society, where even people are “branded.”

The poem’s middle section delves into childhood memories, particularly of annual trips to Coney Island with her father. These memories are rendered in rich, sensory detail: eating “Nathan’s frankfurters,” “whirl[ing] madly in cars of remarkable lacquers,” and watching fireworks over the ocean. These images encapsulate the innocence and excitement of youth, but they are also tinged with a sense of impermanence—the fleeting nature of joy, the inevitability of the day’s end. The American flag gleaming over the ocean at the end of the fireworks show serves as a symbol of patriotism, yet it also signals that it is “time to head for the subways,” suggesting a return to reality and the routines of everyday life.

The reference to “damp sand blowing across the boardwalk” and the “oilcloth table at home” further grounds the poem in the tangible, working-class reality of her upbringing. This is a world of simple pleasures and small comforts, where even the stained linoleum has its place in the rhythm of life. The lines “where we beat time and sang / Oh you can’t scare me I’m sticking to the Union” introduce a political dimension, recalling the labor movement and the belief in collective action and solidarity. This line evokes a time when there was a strong belief in the possibility of a better, more just world—a belief that is both remembered with fondness and lamented for its apparent loss.

The poem’s tone shifts again as Ostriker expresses gratitude for her “sources and [her] spring,” acknowledging the foundational experiences and values that have shaped her. This gratitude is sincere, yet it is also a challenge to the present: “I dare you my fellow citizens / in the nation of money / I dare you to mock me.” Here, Ostriker confronts the reader directly, questioning the values of contemporary American society, which she suggests have become dominated by materialism and cynicism. The repetition of “I dare you” is a call to action, a defiant assertion of the worth of the values she grew up with, even in the face of a society that may no longer recognize them.

“Born in the U.S.A.” is a layered and complex poem that weaves together personal history, cultural memory, and social critique. Through her use of vivid imagery, historical reference, and direct address, Ostriker explores the ways in which the past informs the present, and how individual identity is shaped by the broader forces of culture and history. The poem invites readers to reflect on their own connections to the past and to consider the values that guide their lives in a rapidly changing world.

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