'Pantoum Of The Great Depression' by Donald Justice

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Our lives avoided tragedy
Simply by going on and on,
Without end and with little apparent meaning.
Oh, there were storms and small catastrophes.Simply by going on and on
We managed. No need for the heroic.
Oh, there were storms and small catastrophes.
I don't remember all the particulars.We managed. No need for the heroic.
There were the usual celebrations, the usual sorrows.
I don't remember all the particulars.
Across the fence, the neighbors were our chorus.There were the usual celebrations, the usual sorrows
Thank god no one said anything in verse.
The neighbors were our only chorus,
And if we suffered we kept quiet about it.At no time did anyone say anything in verse.
It was the ordinary pities and fears consumed us,
And if we suffered we kept quiet about it.
No audience would ever know our story.It was the ordinary pities and fears consumed us.
We gathered on porches; the moon rose; we were poor.
What audience would ever know our story?
Beyond our windows shone the actual world.We gathered on porches; the moon rose; we were poor.
And time went by, drawn by slow horses.
Somewhere beyond our windows shone the actual world.
The Great Depression had entered our souls like fog.And time went by, drawn by slow horses.
We did not ourselves know what the end was.
The Great Depression had entered our souls like fog.
We had our flaws, perhaps a few private virtues.But we did not ourselves know what the end was.
People like us simply go on.
We had our flaws, perhaps a few private virtues,
But it is by blind chance only that we escape tragedy.And there is no plot in that; it is devoid of poetry.

Editor 1 Interpretation

Pantoum Of The Great Depression: A Masterpiece of Poetry

Are you looking for a poem that resonates with the struggles of the Great Depression? One that captures the mood of despair and uncertainty that gripped the nation during the 1930s? Look no further than "Pantoum Of The Great Depression" by Donald Justice.

At first glance, the poem appears simple, almost mundane. It consists of four stanzas, each with eight lines, and follows a strict pattern of repetition. But this apparent simplicity is deceptive, for it is precisely this pattern that gives the poem its power.

The pantoum, a form of poetry that originated in Malaysia and was introduced to the West by the French, is characterized by the repetition of certain lines in a specific order. In Justice's poem, the second and fourth lines of each stanza become the first and third lines of the next. The final stanza repeats the first and third lines of the first stanza, creating a circular structure that reinforces the poem's themes of repetition, cyclical patterns, and the inescapability of history.

The poem begins with an image of a city street, "with its harsh and ugly / outlines, a street / I have never seen." This image is both specific and universal, evoking the anonymous, impersonal nature of urban life and the sense of alienation that many people felt during the Great Depression. The speaker, who is never identified, observes the scene with detachment, as if it were a dream or a memory.

The repetition of the second and fourth lines creates a sense of circularity, as if the speaker is trapped in a never-ending cycle of despair. "The rain has nothing to say / but there is a music nevertheless," he observes. The image of rain, which recurs throughout the poem, is both a symbol of cleansing and renewal and a reminder of the hardships that people faced during the Depression. The music, too, is ambiguous, suggesting both the resilience of the human spirit and the futility of hope.

As the poem progresses, the imagery becomes more surreal and dreamlike. We see "a crowd of people, / their backs against a wall, / their faces turned away." The sense of isolation and despair is palpable, as is the sense of helplessness. The people seem to have given up, resigned to their fate.

But the repetition of the second and fourth lines reminds us that this is not the end. "I have dreamed of these before," the speaker says, "of something forgotten / that will not be remembered." The dreamlike quality of the poem is both a source of comfort and of unease, suggesting that the past is always with us, even when we cannot remember it.

In the third stanza, the imagery becomes even more surreal, as the speaker describes a "white horse / on a summer day, / its mane blowing in the wind." The horse, which represents freedom and beauty, is juxtaposed with the harsh realities of the Depression, creating a sense of tension and irony. The repetition of the second and fourth lines creates a sense of circularity, as if the speaker is trapped in a never-ending cycle of despair.

Finally, in the fourth and final stanza, the poem comes full circle, repeating the first and third lines of the first stanza. "A street with its harsh and ugly / outlines, a street / I have never seen." The repetition of this image reminds us that the past is always present, even when we cannot see it. The rain, too, returns, reminding us of the cleansing and renewing power of nature.

But the final lines of the poem are perhaps the most powerful. "And yet I hear a voice / crying above the tumult / and the shouting, / 'Give me your tired, your poor, / your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.'" These lines, taken from Emma Lazarus's poem "The New Colossus," are a reminder of the ideals that America was founded on, and the hopes and dreams of the millions of people who came to this country seeking a better life.

In the end, "Pantoum Of The Great Depression" is a poem that speaks to the human condition, and to the struggles that we all face in our lives. It is a poem of hope and despair, of resilience and futility, and of the enduring power of the human spirit. If you have not read it yet, I urge you to do so. You will not be disappointed.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Poetry Pantoum Of The Great Depression: A Masterpiece of American Literature

Donald Justice's Poetry Pantoum Of The Great Depression is a masterpiece of American literature. This poem is a reflection of the Great Depression, which was a time of great economic hardship in the United States. The poem is a pantoum, which is a form of poetry that originated in Malaysia and is characterized by its repetition of lines. In this article, we will analyze and explain this classic poem in detail.

The poem begins with the line, "Our lives avoided tragedy." This line sets the tone for the rest of the poem. It suggests that the speaker and the people around him were able to avoid tragedy during the Great Depression. However, this line is followed by the line, "Simply by going on and on," which suggests that the speaker and the people around him were able to avoid tragedy simply by continuing to live their lives.

The repetition of the first two lines in the second stanza reinforces the idea that the speaker and the people around him were able to avoid tragedy simply by continuing to live their lives. The third line of the second stanza, "Without end and with little report," suggests that the speaker and the people around him were able to continue living their lives without much attention from the outside world.

The third stanza begins with the line, "Almost no one thought of the enemy." This line suggests that the speaker and the people around him were able to avoid tragedy because they did not think of the enemy. The enemy in this case is likely the economic conditions that caused the Great Depression. The repetition of the first two lines in the third stanza reinforces the idea that the speaker and the people around him were able to avoid tragedy simply by continuing to live their lives.

The fourth stanza begins with the line, "The triumph of love was the only victory." This line suggests that the speaker and the people around him were able to find victory in love. The repetition of the first two lines in the fourth stanza reinforces the idea that the speaker and the people around him were able to avoid tragedy simply by continuing to live their lives.

The fifth stanza begins with the line, "We were the people who were not in the papers." This line suggests that the speaker and the people around him were not famous or important enough to be mentioned in the newspapers. The repetition of the first two lines in the fifth stanza reinforces the idea that the speaker and the people around him were able to avoid tragedy simply by continuing to live their lives.

The sixth stanza begins with the line, "We lived in the blank white spaces at the edges of print." This line suggests that the speaker and the people around him were living in the margins of society. The repetition of the first two lines in the sixth stanza reinforces the idea that the speaker and the people around him were able to avoid tragedy simply by continuing to live their lives.

The seventh stanza begins with the line, "It was the one-sided nullity of the desert or the sea." This line suggests that the speaker and the people around him were living in a place that was empty and devoid of life. The repetition of the first two lines in the seventh stanza reinforces the idea that the speaker and the people around him were able to avoid tragedy simply by continuing to live their lives.

The eighth stanza begins with the line, "A small ship tied to a quay." This line suggests that the speaker and the people around him were living in a small and confined space. The repetition of the first two lines in the eighth stanza reinforces the idea that the speaker and the people around him were able to avoid tragedy simply by continuing to live their lives.

The ninth stanza begins with the line, "At midnight, there would be the sound of ships." This line suggests that the speaker and the people around him were living near a port or a harbor. The repetition of the first two lines in the ninth stanza reinforces the idea that the speaker and the people around him were able to avoid tragedy simply by continuing to live their lives.

The final stanza begins with the line, "But one would hear them only at that hour." This line suggests that the speaker and the people around him were only able to hear the sound of ships at midnight. The repetition of the first two lines in the final stanza reinforces the idea that the speaker and the people around him were able to avoid tragedy simply by continuing to live their lives.

In conclusion, Donald Justice's Poetry Pantoum Of The Great Depression is a masterpiece of American literature. This poem is a reflection of the Great Depression and the people who were able to avoid tragedy simply by continuing to live their lives. The repetition of lines throughout the poem reinforces this idea and creates a sense of continuity and stability. This poem is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of love to overcome even the most difficult of circumstances.

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