Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Louis Zukofsky’s "A--9" continues his exploration of labor, value, and the human experience within the grand framework of his long poem A. In this section, Zukofsky examines the relationships between material production, human labor, and abstract concepts like love, time, and light. Through a dense, modernist style characterized by complex syntax and philosophical inquiry, the poem draws connections between the economic and the emotional, the tangible and the transcendent.

The poem opens with a meditation on value, particularly its detachment from the human labor that creates it. The line “The measure all use is time congealed labor” encapsulates this Marxist perspective, echoing ideas from Das Kapital. Here, Zukofsky critiques the alienation inherent in capitalist production, where “abstraction” severs the connection between objects and their creators. This estrangement is reflected in the line “Our value arranges; / We flee people who made us.” The commodification of labor and goods transforms them into symbols of exchange, stripping them of their original purpose and human significance.

The concept of “value” becomes central to the poem’s exploration of labor’s disconnection from its products. Zukofsky describes how laborers create goods that are subsequently “assumed things of labor powers extorted.” This phrase captures the exploitative nature of production, where the efforts of workers are appropriated and transformed into surplus value, benefiting those who control the means of production rather than the laborers themselves. The poet draws attention to the paradox of progress: as labor becomes more efficient and productive, its intrinsic worth diminishes, leading to greater alienation.

Interwoven with this critique of labor and value are recurring references to light and time. These motifs serve as metaphors for both hope and the inexorable passage of human effort into abstraction. “Light acts beyond the phase day wills us into” suggests a movement toward something greater, yet unattainable within the confines of the current social order. Light, often associated with enlightenment and transcendence, becomes a guiding force, pointing toward a maturer, more equitable future. Similarly, Zukofsky uses time as a dual symbol—both a measure of labor’s alienation and a force that might reconcile humanity with its creations.

As the poem progresses, Zukofsky transitions from an economic focus to a more intimate exploration of human relationships, particularly love. In the latter half of the poem, he juxtaposes love against the alienation of labor, offering it as a counterforce to the commodification of existence. Love, described as “hands, heart, not value made us,” is presented as a unifying and redeeming force, in contrast to the divisive and extractive mechanisms of labor under capitalism. The line “Virtue flames value, merriment love — any / Compassed perfection a projection solely” reinforces the idea that love transcends material constraints, existing as an ideal uncorrupted by the external demands of production.

Zukofsky’s invocation of natural imagery, such as “the dandelion unsorted” and “Sweet alyssum,” further emphasizes the organic, unmeasured quality of love. These images contrast sharply with the mechanized, dehumanized processes of labor described earlier. Through this juxtaposition, the poet suggests that love and nature offer a form of resistance to the alienation imposed by economic systems. They represent unquantifiable, intrinsic values that cannot be commodified or reduced to “congealed labor.”

The structure of "A--9" mirrors its thematic concerns. Zukofsky employs intricate syntax, repetition, and enjambment to create a layered and musical rhythm, reflecting the interconnectedness of the poem’s ideas. The repetition of phrases like “Hands, heart, not value made us” and “Lives worked us slowly to delight the senses” reinforces central themes while mimicking the cyclical nature of labor and production. The dense, fragmentary style demands active engagement from the reader, mirroring the intellectual labor required to grasp the complexities of the modern world.

In the closing stanzas, Zukofsky returns to the interplay between time, light, and love, now framed in terms of artistic creation and vision. He references Apollo and Hyacinthus, drawing on classical mythology to evoke themes of beauty, loss, and transformation. The line “Voice holding the node at heart, song, unfaded / Understanding whereby action is aided” suggests that art and love possess the power to illuminate and guide human action, offering a form of resistance to the alienation and abstraction of labor.

Ultimately, "A--9" is a meditation on the tension between the material and the ideal, the economic and the emotional. Zukofsky critiques the alienation inherent in modern production while celebrating the redemptive potential of love, art, and human connection. Through his intricate style and layered imagery, he constructs a vision of a world where the value of labor and the depth of human relationships might one day align, transcending the divisions imposed by capitalist systems. The poem stands as a testament to Zukofsky’s ability to weave philosophical inquiry with poetic innovation, creating a work that is as challenging as it is profound.

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