Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Charles Reznikoff's "Jerusalem the Golden: 18" is a vivid exploration of the stark, industrial environment of a subway station, drawing a sharp contrast between the natural world and the artificial, man-made landscape. The poem invites readers to consider the subway station as a kind of urban forest, but one that is devoid of the organic life and beauty found in nature. Through his use of imagery and subtle irony, Reznikoff reflects on the alienation and barrenness that can characterize modern urban spaces.

The poem opens with an invitation to "walk about the subway station / in a grove of steel pillars." By referring to the steel pillars as a "grove," Reznikoff evokes the imagery of a forest, typically a place of natural beauty and life. However, this "grove" is made of steel, immediately setting up a contrast between the organic and the industrial. The use of the word "grove" highlights the human tendency to create analogies with nature even in the most unnatural environments, as if to bring a sense of familiarity or comfort to the cold, hard structures of the city.

Reznikoff continues this exploration by focusing on the "knobs, the rivet-heads," noting how they are "unlike those of oaks— / are regularly placed." This comparison underscores the difference between the organic irregularity of nature and the mechanical precision of human engineering. Oak trees, with their irregularly spaced knobs and natural growth patterns, symbolize the spontaneity and beauty of nature, whereas the rivet-heads on the steel pillars represent the calculated, uniform nature of industrial construction. This regularity, while efficient and functional, also contributes to the sense of barrenness and sterility in the subway station.

The barrenness of the environment is further emphasized with the observation that "the ground is / except here and there on the platform / a flat black fungus / that was chewing-gum." The ground, unlike the forest floor rich with life and growth, is barren, with only the remnants of human presence—a discarded piece of chewing gum—serving as the only sign of life. The description of the gum as a "flat black fungus" introduces a touch of irony, likening this refuse to something organic, yet it is a lifeless, trivial remnant of human activity rather than a natural growth. This comparison subtly critiques the detritus of urban life, where even the most mundane waste is transformed into a grotesque parody of nature.

The poem, through its precise and carefully chosen imagery, conveys a sense of disconnection from the natural world. The subway station, with its steel pillars and barren ground, is a place where the organic has been replaced by the industrial, and where the remnants of human presence serve only to underscore the sterility of the environment. Reznikoff’s depiction of the station as a "grove" of steel pillars suggests a longing for the natural world, even as the reality of the urban landscape falls far short of that ideal.

In "Jerusalem the Golden: 18," Reznikoff captures the essence of modern urban life—a world built on precision, efficiency, and uniformity, but one that is also characterized by a profound sense of barrenness and disconnection from nature. The poem serves as a reflection on the ways in which human-made environments, while functional and necessary, often lack the organic beauty and richness of the natural world. Through his keen observation and ironic juxtaposition, Reznikoff invites readers to reconsider the spaces they inhabit and to reflect on what is lost in the pursuit of progress and industrialization.

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