UNIT 1: POST – 2000 POETRY
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JONH BURNSIDE’S HISTORY:
‘History’ by John Burnside is a striking poem which considers the significance of
historical events, particularly the World Trade Center attacks in September 2001.
Burnside is a Scottish poet, born in 1955 in Fife. His motivation for writing is the
“rhythm of the world” around him, which he sees as the essence of writing and the
world around him. From this inspiration, he will build the poem in his head until it is
at a state in which it can be written down. He has likened this process to
metalwork, where while the lines are in his head they are “malleable” and can be
changed, but once they are written down they aren’t changed much after this
point.
The title is an ordinary word, and as such is open to a variety of interpretation,
failing to give much indication of the meaning behind the poem. It indicates that it
could be about a large-scale event, but this contrasts with the opening stanza
beginning with “Today”, which may be confusing for a reader. However, the
subtitle under the poem states “September 2001” which due to the significance
associated with this time, it would immediately be clear that it is likely about the
September 11 terrorist attacks, and Burnside will be reflecting historical
significance of that day. This unlocks the initial overarching meaning of the poem,
however it is important to note that there a range of deeper ideas that can still be
interpreted from the rest of the poem.
POEM STRUCTURE:
There is a highly irregular structure throughout the poem, with the free verse being
used to its full effect with no particular consistency in stanza or line
length whatsoever. This is very effective because it helps to convey the confusion
and strong changes in emotions that could be felt by someone hearing the news,
with their thought process becoming erratic as they attempt to process the
information. Alternatively it could also be interpreted as being a visual
representation of the destroyed and damaged twin towers, or as a broader
representation of confusion and shock within society.
There are occasional stanzas which seem more deliberate and structured,
showing small sections of collected thoughts and helping to convey important
meanings and points from the poem, such as the links people share in society
described in the line beginning “At times I think”. Despite this, the poem still feels
dominated by vague ideas which show the confusion and uncertainty felt by the
narrator. The mix of condensed and fragmented stanzas could be interpreted as
showing the way in which different elements and parts of society could be seen to
have disintegrated and been damaged over time, as a result of the gradual loss of
collective memory of important past events.
Loss and confusion is further emphasised by the unfinished feeling that many
lines have as a result of enjambment, with multiple lines flowing over each other.
This helps to encourage a strong feeling of uncertainty because a reader is never
sure as to when a line will end or pause, which would also likely extend to the
rhythm of their speech when the poem is read aloud. This could also help with
slowing the poem, allowing more time for a reader or audience to fully consider
the significance of the descriptions.
POETIC TECHNIQUES:
There is a semantic field of the sea in the poem, with various references to
creatures including “jellyfish” and “carp”, and also the scenery of the beach and
sea, such as “dune slacks” and “tideworn stone”. The references to such a variety
of animals could be seen as representing the diversity of human life,
demonstrating how despite everyone being different there are still factors that hold
them in common, therefore creating a shared bond. This would be very effective
for a reader because they would likely recognise how easy it is for division to arise
from any sad or horrific event, so this allusion to unity would show how important
Burnside believes it is.
Links to universal ideas that are rooted in the natural world is also a key part of
‘History’ with descriptions such as “tethers us to gravity and light” midway through
the poem. The use of these fundamental ideas is designed to further highlight the
shared experiences of humanity within the world, while the reference to “light” is
used to bring a more positive and hopeful tone through its connotations. This
positive light imagery also is part of a semantic field, with other references such as
“gold” and “bright” helping to reinforce these positive elements further.
However, while there is positive imagery, this is against a backdrop of more
uncertain and war related ideas that persist through the poem to ensure that there
is still a general sense of unease felt by a reader. This is most notable at the
beginning of the poem with reference to “war planes” which encourages a reader
to consider the global and military repercussions, but also smaller references such
as “petrol” and “states” which while are not directly about military or conflict, some
readers may link them given the context; this would be very effective because it
can be seen as representing the permanence of forms of conflict in the world.
IMPORTANT LINES:
“sand spinning off in ribbons” This pleasant imagery acts as a contrast to the
negative thoughts and ideas that continue throughout the rest of the poem,
although arguably this phrase gives a hint of the future negative subject matter
through the use of sibilance. In addition, the “spinning off” could be representative
of either the destruction of the towers, or metaphorically representing the potential
society as a whole now has to lurch to negative actions and to ‘spin out of control’.
“the muffled dread of what may come” The highly emotive “dread” shows the
emotion of the situation for the narrator, but coupled with “muffled” makes it sound
more sinister and intimidating, with a lack of free expression. To some readers this
could be particularly fearsome because it indicates a level of distortion, and
therefore lack of clarity which further emphasises the confusing experiences.
“attentive to the irredeemable” The whole phrase comes across as relatively
repetitive due to the multiple syllables in “attentive” and “irredeemable” and
consonance of the ‘t’ and ‘d’ sounds. This could be interpreted as demonstrating
society’s focus on key news events and the way that more focus is typically given
to the more horrendous acts and events. Ending the poem on this note almost
acts as a warning or message to the reader about the way society can become
enthralled with analysis of events such as these.
“HISTORY” – KEY THEMES:
Society and Culture: ‘History’ directly addresses ideas regarding society and the
reaction of society to terrorist attacks and traumatic events as a whole. This is
both in the form of societal identity, and through the way in which society reacts.
Identity: The poem looks at the idea of identity, using ideas of fish and sea life to
represent the contrast and diversity in society while simultaneously showing what
is held in common and shared between people.
Conflict: While other poems in the anthology may consider conflict more directly,
‘History’ instead shows the repercussions of conflict and how these can impact on
individuals and society as a whole. This arguably is more effective because it is
more likely to be something that a reader can relate to.
QUICK FOCUS QUESTIONS:
1. In what ways could ‘History’ be seen as exploring spiritual/philosophical
ideas and themes?
2. What may influence a reader to interpret the poem as sharing a degree of
hope?
