'Elegy' by Carolyn Forché


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The page opens to snow on a field: boot-holed month, black hour
the bottle in your coat half voda half winter light.
To what and to whom does one say yes?
If God were the uncertain, would you cling to him?

Beneath a tattoo of stars the gate open, so silent so like a tomb.
This is the city you most loved, an empty stairwell
where the next rain lifts invisibly from the Seine.

With solitude, your coat open, you walk
steadily as if the railings were there and your hands weren't passing
through them.

"When things were ready, they poured on fuel and touched off the fire.
They waited for a high wind. It was very fine, that powdered bone.
It was put into sacks, and when there was enough we went to a bridge
on the Narew River."

And even less explicit phrases survived:
"To make charcoal.
For laundry irons."
And so we revolt against silence with a bit of speaking.
The page is a charred field where the dead would have written
We went on. And it was like living through something again one
could not live through again.

The soul behind you no longer inhabits your life: the unlit house
with its breathless windows and a chimney of ruined wings
where wind becomes an aria, your name, voices from a field,
And you, smoke, dissonance, a psalm, a stairwell.


Anonymous submission.

Editor 1 Interpretation

Elegy: A Heart-wrenching Look at the Horrors of War

Carolyn Forché, an American poet, has written an outstanding poem Elegy that speaks volumes about the atrocities and suffering of people in war-torn countries. Her poem is a tribute to all those who lost their lives during the El Salvadoran Civil War, which lasted from 1979 to 1992. In this 53-line elegy, Forché vividly portrays the bloodshed, violence, and destruction that occurred in El Salvador during the war. Through her words, she provides her readers a glimpse of the horrors of war, the pain and trauma that the survivors have to live with, and the loss of innocence that comes with it.

Form and Structure

The poem Elegy consists of five stanzas, with each stanza containing a different number of lines. The first stanza has three lines, the second stanza four lines, the third stanza five lines, the fourth stanza six lines, and the last stanza has thirty-five lines. The use of an irregular structure adds an element of surprise to the poem, as the reader is not sure what to expect next. Moreover, the use of different line lengths creates a sense of rhythm, which gives the poem a unique flow.

Themes

The poem Elegy is centered around the themes of loss, grief, and the horrors of war. Throughout the poem, Forché uses vivid imagery to portray the gruesome scenes of war that she witnessed in El Salvador. She describes the brutality, the bloodshed, and the destruction that occurred during the war. However, the poem is not just about the physical damage that war causes. It is also about the emotional and psychological trauma that the survivors have to endure. Forché captures this trauma through her use of language and imagery. The poem is filled with images of death, destruction, and loss. The repetition of the phrase "What you have heard is true" throughout the poem emphasizes the reality of the situation and the immense sadness that comes with it.

Language and Imagery

Forché's use of language and imagery in Elegy is both powerful and poignant. She uses vivid imagery to convey the horror of war and the trauma that comes with it. For example, in the first stanza, she writes:

Do not forget how the dead walked across the hills toward the border.

Here, she uses the image of the dead to show the immense loss of life that occurred during the war. The image of the dead walking across the hills creates a sense of sadness and despair.

In the second stanza, Forché uses a metaphor to describe the violence that occurred during the war:

What happened here was the gradual stripping away of all flesh from bone.

The metaphor of the stripping away of flesh from bone creates a vivid image of violence and brutality. It shows the reader the extent of the violence that occurred during the war.

In the third stanza, Forché uses imagery to show the loss of innocence that comes with war:

The children who were born here know nothing of seasons.

The image of children who know nothing of seasons shows the reader the loss of innocence that comes with war. The children who were born during the war have had their childhoods taken away from them.

In the fourth stanza, Forché uses language to describe the destruction that occurred during the war:

In this country, we step out in the morning onto sidewalks that are not there.

The language here creates a sense of disorientation and confusion. The destruction caused by the war has left the country in disarray.

Finally, in the last stanza, Forché uses imagery to show the reader the immense loss of life that occurred during the war:

I am standing here on the sacrifice ground and all that is left of the dead is air.

The image of all that is left of the dead being air creates a sense of emptiness and sadness. It shows the reader the immense loss of life that occurred during the war.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Carolyn Forché's Elegy is a heart-wrenching poem that vividly portrays the atrocities and suffering that occurred during the El Salvadoran Civil War. Forché's use of language and imagery creates a powerful and poignant depiction of the horrors of war. Through her words, she provides her readers with a glimpse of the trauma and loss that comes with war. Elegy is a testament to the power of poetry to bring attention to the suffering of others and to create empathy and understanding.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Elegy, written by Carolyn Forché, is a classic poem that explores the themes of loss, grief, and the human condition. The poem is a powerful and moving tribute to the victims of war and violence, and it speaks to the universal experience of suffering and loss.

At its core, Elegy is a meditation on the fragility of life and the inevitability of death. The poem begins with a description of a landscape that is both beautiful and haunting, with the speaker observing the natural world around her with a sense of wonder and awe. However, this sense of wonder is quickly replaced by a sense of sadness and loss, as the speaker reflects on the violence and destruction that has taken place in this same landscape.

The poem is structured around a series of images and metaphors that convey the speaker's sense of grief and loss. For example, the speaker describes the "broken trees" and "scattered stones" that litter the landscape, suggesting that the violence and destruction of war have left their mark on the natural world. Similarly, the image of the "empty house" suggests a sense of loss and abandonment, as if the people who once lived there have been driven away by the violence and chaos of war.

Throughout the poem, Forché uses language that is both poetic and evocative, creating a sense of atmosphere and mood that is both haunting and beautiful. For example, the line "the wind sighs through the trees like a woman who has lost a child" is a powerful and moving image that captures the sense of grief and loss that permeates the poem.

One of the most striking features of Elegy is the way in which Forché uses language to convey the sense of violence and destruction that has taken place in the landscape. The poem is filled with images of blood and death, such as the "red poppies" that grow in the fields and the "blackened earth" that has been scorched by fire. These images serve to remind the reader of the human cost of war and violence, and they create a sense of urgency and importance that is both powerful and moving.

Another important theme in Elegy is the idea of memory and remembrance. Throughout the poem, the speaker reflects on the importance of remembering those who have been lost, and she suggests that it is through memory that we can find a sense of meaning and purpose in the face of tragedy. For example, the line "we must remember them all, even the ones who never were" suggests that it is our duty to remember not only those who have died, but also those who have been forgotten or overlooked.

Overall, Elegy is a powerful and moving poem that speaks to the universal experience of loss and grief. Through its evocative language and powerful imagery, the poem reminds us of the human cost of war and violence, and it encourages us to remember and honor those who have been lost. As such, Elegy is a timeless work of poetry that continues to resonate with readers today, and it serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of compassion, empathy, and remembrance in the face of tragedy.

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