Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Linda Pastan's poem "The Lumberjacks" offers a powerful and unsettling reinterpretation of the biblical story of Eden, using the imagery of lumberjacks entering the garden to explore themes of destruction, industrialization, and the loss of innocence. Through the lens of this mythic narrative, the poem critiques humanity's relentless drive to dominate and transform the natural world, ultimately leading to the desecration of paradise.

The poem begins with a stark image: "They entered Eden with their saws and axes," immediately setting a tone of invasion and violence. The "they" refers to the lumberjacks, who are portrayed as intruders in the idyllic, untouched world of Eden. The use of saws and axes, tools of destruction, signifies the beginning of a process that will fundamentally alter the landscape of the garden. This introduction positions the lumberjacks as agents of change, but not in a positive or creative sense—rather, they are the harbingers of destruction.

As Eve watches "from just beyond the gate," the poem invites readers to consider the perspective of the first woman, who is traditionally associated with the original sin of eating the forbidden fruit. However, in this retelling, Eve is a passive observer, unable to prevent the impending destruction. Her position "just beyond the gate" suggests a separation from the direct action, yet she is still intimately connected to the scene, witnessing the desecration of her once-perfect world. This juxtaposition of Eve's helplessness with the active violence of the lumberjacks underscores the sense of loss and powerlessness in the face of industrialization and environmental degradation.

The lumberjacks' work is described as a "carnage / of chestnut, cedar, alder," evoking the language of slaughter. The trees, once living beings within the sanctity of Eden, are reduced to mere "timber," their fruit spilled and bark stripped. The transformation of these trees into "four by fours and two by sixes" represents the reduction of nature to standardized, commodified objects, ready for construction and exploitation. The shift from "numbering now instead of naming" highlights the dehumanizing and impersonal nature of this process. In the original Eden narrative, Adam names the animals and plants, imbuing them with identity and significance. Here, the act of numbering replaces naming, reflecting a shift from a relationship of care and stewardship to one of control and domination.

Even the "complicitous apple" is not spared in this destructive frenzy. The apple, traditionally associated with the fall of man and the loss of innocence, is now part of the broader destruction of Eden. Its fall symbolizes not just the loss of innocence but the complete and total devastation of paradise. The smell of sawdust, which "was like death in the nostrils," further intensifies the sense of mortality and decay, transforming what was once a symbol of life and growth into a harbinger of death.

The poem concludes with a haunting line: "and it was evening and another day." This echoes the language of the Genesis creation narrative, where God looks upon His creation at the end of each day and declares it good. However, in this context, the phrase is stripped of its original meaning. There is no divine approval here, only the passage of time marked by the continued destruction of Eden. The reference to "another day" suggests a cyclical inevitability, as if this process of destruction will continue unabated, day after day, erasing the beauty and sanctity of the natural world.

"The Lumberjacks" is a stark and powerful commentary on humanity's impact on the environment, framed within the mythic context of the Garden of Eden. Through vivid and unsettling imagery, Pastan critiques the ways in which industrialization and the commodification of nature have led to the loss of innocence and the destruction of the natural world. The poem serves as a reminder of the consequences of prioritizing progress and exploitation over preservation and reverence for the environment, urging readers to reflect on the cost of these actions to both the world and our collective soul.

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