Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In Randall Jarrell's "Jerome," the poet presents a contemplative narrative that serves as an allegory for the human condition, grappling with existential anxieties and the search for meaning. The poem invokes the figure of St. Jerome, known for his translation of the Bible into Latin and his ascetic life in the desert where, according to legend, he tamed a lion. In Jarrell's interpretation, the saint becomes a conduit through which the complexities of the human psyche are explored.

The poem begins with an intriguing juxtaposition: "Each day brings its toad, each night its dragon." These creatures symbolize the troubling thoughts and fears that afflict us daily, embodying existential concerns. "Der heilige Hieronymus-his lion is at the zoo-" provides a modern setting for the saint, emphasizing the distance between the sacred and the everyday.

The phrase "Dreams affright his couch, the deep boils like a pot" touches upon the saint's internal struggle, the tumult of his unconscious mind. As the saint tends to his last patient, who "Says to him, Father, trembles, turns away," we sense an ineffable sorrow. The poem subtly communicates the saint's loneliness and the weight of others' unspoken troubles. The lInes"Often, to the lion, the saint said, Son. / To the man the saint says-but the man is gone" illustrate a paradox: while the saint may find communion with the beast, his relationship with fellow humans remains fraught and incomplete.

As the poem moves into the night, Jerome whispers to the darkness, which listens "evenly," reflecting the saint's words without judgment or answer. The poem delves into psychoanalytical territory with the line "Where Ego was, there Id shall be," recalling Freud's model of the human psyche. This line suggests that over time, our primal instincts (Id) are socialized into conscious thought and behavior (Ego), but the original impulses never disappear-they lie in wait, like the dragon of the night.

Towards the dawn, the old man has a vision, a moment of self-awareness where he sees himself in the desert with his lion, "among scorpions, toads, the wild beasts of the desert." He is ready to transcribe "the words of the angel," yet the angel remains silent. This can be interpreted as the silence of God or the existential void, which offers no easy answers. However, the day brings renewal; the man "walks on, under leaves, in light, / To a lynx, a leopard-he has come;" It's as though life, in all its complexity and beauty, continues regardless of our existential anxieties.

In the concluding lines, the saint extends "a lump of liver to the lion," a simple but profound act of communion between man and beast, capturing a moment of grace and unity that defies the complexities and fears described earlier. It's a tranquil end to a poem rich in turmoil, suggesting that in the small, everyday acts of kindness and understanding, we may find a measure of peace and connection that eludes us in the grand existential quest for meaning.

Jarrell's "Jerome" is a meditation on the complexities of the human condition, employing symbolism, allegory, and psychological insight to delve into the depths of existential concern. The poem serves as a microcosm of human life itself, encompassing our fears, hopes, and the ceaseless search for understanding.

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