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Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | |||
Muriel Rukeyser’s poem "Make and Be Eaten" is a compelling meditation on the transformative power of creativity, desire, and the search for meaning. Through vivid imagery and rhythmic language, Rukeyser explores the dynamic interplay between creation and consumption, light and darkness, joy and confusion, ultimately arriving at a vision of artistic and personal transcendence. The opening line, "Make and be eaten, the poet says," immediately introduces the dual nature of creation. The act of making, whether it be art or life, inevitably leads to being consumed by the very process. This line sets the stage for a poetic journey where creation and destruction, giving and receiving, are inextricably linked. The poet urges, "Lie in the arms of nightlong fire, / To celebrate the waking, wake." Here, "nightlong fire" suggests both passion and the trials of the creative process, emphasizing the importance of embracing these experiences to achieve true awakening. Rukeyser continues to explore this theme of duality with the line, "Burn in the daylong light; and praise / Even the mother unappeased, / Even the fathers of desire." The "daylong light" represents clarity and enlightenment, while the "mother unappeased" and "fathers of desire" evoke primal forces and unmet needs. By urging praise for these forces, Rukeyser acknowledges the necessity of confronting and integrating them into one's life and work. The poem moves into a reflection on time and perception: "Blind go the days, but joy will see / Agreements of music; they will wind / The shaking of your dance." Despite the blindness of routine days, joy has the power to perceive and harmonize the underlying "agreements of music" that guide life's dance. This dance, though initially marked by "ambiguous arm-waves" of confusion, ultimately becomes a "blessing given" as clarity and purpose are found. Rukeyser then calls for a declaration among the "purest shapes of grace," recognizing the transformative power of fire: "The waking of the face of fire, / The body of waking and the skill / To make your body such a shape / That all the eyes of hope shall stare." The "face of fire" and "body of waking" symbolize an enlightened, purposeful existence. The act of shaping oneself to inspire "the eyes of hope" suggests that through creativity and self-transformation, one can become a beacon of inspiration. The poet further emphasizes this transformation by contrasting fear and hope: "That all the cries of fear shall know, / Staring in their bird-pierced song; / Lines of such penetration make / That shall bind our loves at last." The "cries of fear" are acknowledged and transcended through the "bird-pierced song," an image of penetrating, transformative art. These "lines of such penetration" signify the profound impact of art that binds and unites through shared human experience. The poem reaches a climax with the invocation of fantastical elements: "Then from the mountains of the lost, / All the fantasies shall wake, / Strong and real and speaking turn / Wherever flickers your unreal." Here, Rukeyser suggests that even the most elusive and imaginative parts of the self can be awakened and made real through the creative process. The "mountains of the lost" represent forgotten or suppressed aspects of the psyche that, once awakened, contribute to a fuller understanding of oneself. In the concluding lines, "And my strong ghosts shall fade and pass / My love start fiery as grass / Wherever burn my fantasies," Rukeyser envisions a transformation where past burdens ("strong ghosts") fade away, giving rise to a new, fiery passion. The imagery of grass, which burns quickly but regenerates, suggests a cycle of continual renewal and creativity. "Make and Be Eaten" by Muriel Rukeyser is a profound exploration of the cyclical nature of creation and consumption, urging readers to embrace the trials and passions of life and art. Through evocative imagery and rhythmic language, the poem celebrates the transformative power of creativity, the necessity of confronting primal forces, and the ultimate transcendence achieved through self-realization and artistic expression. Rukeyser’s work invites readers to find harmony within the dualities of existence, to shape themselves into beacons of hope and inspiration, and to continually renew their passion and creativity.
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