Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Alicia Suskin Ostriker’s poem "Song" explores the origins and varied meanings of song through the perspectives of an old woman, a tulip, and a dog, each offering a unique insight into how song is interwoven with the fabric of life. Through these different voices, Ostriker delves into the primal, nurturing, and even violent aspects of song, revealing its profound connection to human and animal experience.

The poem begins with the old woman’s reflection on the origin of song: "Some claim the origin of song / was a war cry / some say it was a rhyme / telling the farmers when to plant and reap." Here, the old woman acknowledges the common theories that song emerged from practical or aggressive impulses—either as a tool for coordinating work or as a means of rallying warriors. However, she offers a more tender and intimate perspective: "don’t they know the first song was a lullaby / pulled from a mother’s sleep." This assertion shifts the focus from the public, communal origins of song to the private, nurturing space of the mother-child relationship. The lullaby, a gentle melody meant to soothe and comfort, is depicted as the earliest form of song, born out of a mother’s deep, instinctual need to calm her child. The phrase "pulled from a mother’s sleep" suggests that this song emerges from a place of both exhaustion and love, a spontaneous and selfless act that connects the earliest songs to the primal bond between mother and child.

The poem then transitions to the voice of a tulip, which expresses delight in the natural world through the experience of birdsong: "A significant / factor generating my delight in being / alive this springtime / is the birdsong." For the tulip, birdsong is not just a sound but a vital, life-affirming force that enhances its existence. The comparison of birdsong to a "sweeping mesh" that "has captured me / like diamond rain" conveys the all-encompassing, mesmerizing quality of the sound. The tulip is ensnared, enchanted by the beauty and abundance of the birds’ music, which seems to fall from the sky like precious jewels. The tulip’s response to birdsong reflects the deep connection between nature and song, where music becomes a source of joy and a symbol of the renewal that comes with spring. The tulip’s inability to "hear it enough" underscores the insatiable, almost ecstatic pleasure derived from this simple, yet profound, natural occurrence.

The poem’s final voice, that of the dog, brings a stark contrast to the previous perspectives: "lifetime after lifetime / we surged up the hill / I and my dear brothers / thirsty for blood / uttering / our beautiful songs." The dog’s reflection introduces a darker, more violent aspect of song, one tied to the primal instincts of hunting and survival. The repetition of "lifetime after lifetime" suggests that this drive is deeply ingrained, an eternal cycle of pursuit and conquest. The imagery of "surging up the hill" and being "thirsty for blood" evokes the ferocity and determination of the hunt, while the phrase "our beautiful songs" juxtaposes the violence of the act with the aesthetic pleasure of the song. This contrast highlights the complexity of song as both a tool for survival and an expression of beauty, even in the context of violence. The dog’s perspective reminds us that song is not only a means of comfort or delight but can also be a primal, powerful force associated with the darker aspects of life.

Through these three distinct voices, "Song" presents a multifaceted exploration of the nature of song, suggesting that it is an intrinsic part of life, manifesting in various forms depending on the context and the being that produces it. The old woman’s lullaby speaks to the nurturing, protective side of song, rooted in love and care. The tulip’s enchantment with birdsong reflects the joy and beauty found in the natural world, while the dog’s battle cry reveals the primal, instinctual power of song as a force for survival and dominance.

Ostriker’s poem ultimately suggests that song is a universal expression, deeply connected to both the most tender and the most fierce aspects of existence. Whether as a lullaby, a celebration of nature, or a war cry, song is an essential, multifaceted phenomenon that transcends individual experience, connecting all living beings to the rhythms of life itself. The poem’s rich imagery and varied voices invite the reader to reflect on the diverse roles that song plays in our lives, from the gentle to the violent, and to appreciate the ways in which music, in all its forms, shapes our experience of the world.

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