To Susan Sontag, with love by Taban Lo Liyong, Analysis, Themes, and Poetic Devices

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To Susan Sontag, with love by Taban Lo Liyong, Analysis, Themes, and Poetic Devices

To Susan Sontag, with love by Taban Lo Liyong

Part I

in mans greatest intellectual age sometimes called mythopoeic 

he gave rivers tongues trees ears sky eyes mother earth oozed

with life 

words were very gods

why but to make witnesses

all witnesses police judges erinyes

we remained human while that age lasted and its shadow

covered us

but enlightenment encroached this sensitive terrain 

drove imagination behind saying we rational creatures be

and down with superstition man shall live by reason alone

as if this was first time human intellect had beheld these views 

enlightenment prophesied god dead snuffing out divine in us

sacredness was dead for good

we caught unsuperstition like flu

mans feedback is fear

and superstition his homeostasis

and religion his lifebelt 

at end of his tether man lives by myths and dies by daring ignorance

ancient greeks in modesty moulded earth and gave objects so made supernames

correlatives of force and power in man 

heartsearchingly deeming it better man surrendered potency to objects 

and nouns abstract

making himself harmlesser towards strangers and neighbours

and a serf to his own metacreatures

whose feats feast games

he observed with awe from distance 

dared not imitate challenge

scapegods man made

and placed on olympuses

had megahuman exploits men enjoyed in telling only 

and bore blames for his immodesty

and glowed with pride in his success 

always picking tabs and paying insurance

to experience lodged in subconscious

for acts omitted or committed

with lights we came on scene in time machines

and thought first generator toy

and dismantled wheel rod indicators

shaking cosmology out of balance

human injunctions divined and austere

had gone forth to fear gods and not prod them

and respects to locks of nestors 

and noncontradiction of continuity with observation of line

in middle

mans mind cant carry much 

nor follow road straight

but if remains on earth will stay safe

intuition is not practical

greeks flew by proxy 

divines kept dark ages bright

inquisition lost last battle against madness 

without fear without superstition nails are painted red

and fermi munches japanese 

a villain after galileo

at least newton repented 

firmer wax sends daedalus hit very sun

and goddic mysteries flouted without fear 

everyman own god

puny nietzsches strut 

bloated frogs

race of supermen has come 

but where superhumanists

with guilt gone

was auschwitz far

sacredness is dead

and hiroshima invented

without superstition 

denigrated godtheidea

to confront mantheideamaker

more nearly

our death machines be twostage rocket

launched on humanists laps

by scientists

they killed witches and sought for stone

keeping idea alive 

we are enlightened now and burnt by fire overexposure

the wring hands

chorus bastard humanists 

rebels against ignorance se acknowledging us

drilling efficiency in thick skulls and making us robots

god knows what else our fates 

from abundant imagination lodged in impractical timid 

humanists

scientists put to work magic

poets planned and blueprinted in classrooms

Jurid attics and pulpits

and politicians would outdo alexanderandcaesar 

as taught in school

everybodys tomb a pyramid and shrine

we teach iliad for war

right and wrong troy is ours 

damn guy fawkes for gunpowder 

bot printing machine crushed noble castles 

far and near amen

aeiou rimbaud sought your pregnant secrets

as if grammarians hadnt stuffed us full 

with correct usage agreements 

miss verb and mister person 

and lord bacon urged exactness 

unto him machines 

shakespeare 

life blows like wind 

of no signification 

what its worth 

and world a stage 

for how many roles 

of angelsanddevils

sartres waiter dribbles precarious tray 

full of eats and drinks and poisons 

accomplished actor iago 

jean uncommon actor 

manipulating words 

manipulating cultivated physiques 

veritable foyers

goethes alter ego mephistopheles 

rewarded belle in saigon 

drops napalm and bomb 

wildes science for sciences sake

is come

rejoice 

capacity for variety sensations is dostoyevskys work on paper 

pavlovs moved from dogs to flesh and mind

overacute consciousness is disease with own fundamental laws 

common to intellects elect 

screws them tight 

and forces moment to own conclusion 

no matter the end

fyodor gets pleasure killing story

scientist discovering law 

lover consummates sex orgasm

murderer kills victim

everything permitted 

existentists technicians prepare biological warfare 

aristotles literary sublime is literature

imitation

so metaliterature cybernetics

inhuman use

suffering

oedipus cleanses us incest

and murder

and bloodier macbeth

washes cleaner pogroms

and roasted peasants best detergents

granddad noah dead drunk near mississippi 

triple summer murders

and sharpeville bloodbath

divine comedy be bloodier

for sake of dantes enemies 

burn in hell

and ours hereandthere eliot

we loster generation

with war objective correlative of might and something else

ive never heard bomb

but beethoven shot and tachaikovsky answered 

guernica mangled few

picasso criminally dismembered all 

and unborn gorgons head

moore made models for pills copy 

and japanese bomb mass produce 

general piet mondrian directs bombing operations

complete maps enemy territory 

squared paddies green jungles ports rivers bridges deltas roads

rails 

ready bombing

marines today tomorrow when escalation authorized

homer wins pulitzer prizes 

outstanding warreporting

those deranged war cured sanatoria

but brainmixed by joice

teach universitics

technocrats

beautiful hirelings 

magnates

single

corporate

governing servants 

Efficiency Almighty 

computers in hand 

massmedia in mouth 

aesthetics for minds 

missiles as comets

go worshipping unconcerned

about myliverandourhobbyhorse 

guinea pigs die our first breaths 

we less equal than other pigs 

strong carlyle orders workanddoubtnot 

and robots drive through green and yellow

till all is red

books on sex banned 

but more potent tripped 

milton honoured 

but mute betters forgot 

forget innocents and sadists 

but preserve masochists for private consumption

publicly honour heroes

distinguished murderers

temperance societies filled donations

teetotallers get grand evations 

but not alcohol only intoxicate

KNOWLEDGE does

homer turned keats on

elgin marbles broke his heart

poor sweet nightingale

psychedelics may be harmful your health 

but surrealism destroys than pills 

adverse effects literary materials

on human bodyandmind

be investigated by houseunamericanactivities

sick in utopias criminal

should be criminal 

in ours to be bright

and all intellectuals be rounded up 

on ground intoxication

with ideas

and disturbance of natural mediocrity of man

we shall revive

the grand ancient society

for preservation of Ignorance

man

thoroughly dull creature since civilizations came and went

centuries piled top centuries 

to make man less ignorant

after that

she has to spend most her life and energy being reminded 

of bits of what should know to make death kit 

ps

between the committed man 

moral and blaming 

and manofscience 

there is only a difference of impracticality 

the timid gropes for standardization and equality 

the tradesman delivers on a platter the finished order 

mixed with blood 

and limbs 

and horror 

and overefficiency 

amen.

Analysis

The poem "To Susan Sontag, with love" by Taban Lo Liyong is a commentary on the relationship between human beings and their mythological, religious, and scientific beliefs. The poem is divided into several parts, each of which explores different aspects of this relationship. 

The first part of the poem contrasts the "mythopoeic" age, in which humans gave supernatural qualities to nature, with the "enlightened" age, in which humans have rejected superstition in favor of reason. Liyong suggests that while reason is a valuable tool, it has also caused humans to lose touch with their imaginative and spiritual sides. 

The second part of the poem focuses on the ancient Greeks and their creation of gods and myths to explain the world around them. Liyong suggests that these myths helped humans to better understand and relate to the natural world, and also served as a way of keeping humans humble and respectful of the power of nature. 

The third part of the poem examines the modern world, in which science and technology have replaced religion and myth as the dominant belief systems. Liyong suggests that while science has brought many benefits, it has also led to the creation of destructive technologies and a loss of the sense of the sacred. 

Overall, the poem suggests that humans need a balance between reason and imagination, science and myth, in order to truly understand and appreciate the world around them. Without this balance, humans are in danger of losing their sense of wonder and their connection to the natural world.

Poetic Devices used in the Poem "To Susan Sontag, with Love" by Taban Lo Liyong 

Some of the poetic devices used in the poem "To Susan Sontag, with love" by Taban Lo Liyong include: 

Allusion: The poem alludes to various historical, mythological, and literary figures such as Daedalus, Galileo, Alexander, Caesar, and Dante. 

Imagery: The poem uses vivid imagery to paint pictures in the reader's mind. For example, "rivers tongues," "trees ears," "sky eyes," "mother earth oozed with life," and "human injunctions divined and austere had gone forth to fear gods and not prod them." 

Metaphor: The poem uses metaphorical language to compare one thing to another, such as "human injunctions divined and austere had gone forth to fear gods and not prod them." 

Personification: The poem personifies various concepts, such as "enlightenment encroached this sensitive terrain" and "sacredness was dead for good." 

Symbolism: The poem uses symbolic language to represent ideas, such as "ancient greeks in modesty moulded earth and gave objects so made supernames correlatives of force and power in man." 

Repetition: The poem uses repetition of certain words and phrases for emphasis, such as "without fear, without superstition" and "and bloodier Macbeth washes cleaner pogroms and roasted peasants best detergents." 

Alliteration: The poem uses alliteration, such as "metaliterature cybernetics" and "suffering Oedipus cleanses us incest."

Themes in the Poem "To Susan Sontag, with Love" by Taban Lo Liyong 

The poem explores various themes, some of which include:

Mythopoeia: The poem begins with a reference to the mythopoeic age, during which man attributed animate characteristics to inanimate objects, giving them voices, ears, and eyes, and treating words as gods. This theme is explored throughout the poem as a contrast to the rational age of enlightenment.

Superstition and fear: The speaker suggests that even in the modern age, man remains fearful and superstitious, and that religion serves as a lifebelt for him. The poem highlights how superstition and fear have been a constant in human nature, and how they persist despite advances in science and reason.

Human limits: The poem suggests that human beings are limited in their capacity to understand the world and that intuition and imagination can be impractical. The speaker notes that the Greeks flew by proxy, and that even in the modern age, humans have built death machines that threaten their own existence.

The role of art and literature: The poem examines the role of art and literature in shaping our perceptions of the world. The speaker notes that poets have planned and blueprinted in classrooms, and that the teaching of literature often glorifies war and violence.

Ethics and morality: The poem explores the relationship between ethics and morality, noting that sometimes what is right and wrong is relative and subjective. The speaker suggests that everything is permitted and that existence is characterized by suffering.

The human condition: The poem grapples with the human condition, suggesting that human beings are flawed, limited, and prone to violence and destruction. The speaker notes that the world is a stage for many roles of angels and devils, and that humans have a capacity for both good and evil.

The search for meaning: Finally, the poem explores the search for meaning in life. The speaker suggests that life blows like wind and that its worth is uncertain. The poem examines various attempts to find meaning, from religion to science to art, and suggests that ultimately, the search for meaning is a personal journey that each individual must undertake on their own.

 

 

 

Conclusion 

The poem touches on the themes of the transition from mythopoeic to rational thought, the role of superstition and religion in human life, the impact of enlightenment and science, the idea of the sacred, the power of language and imagination, and the human capacity for both good and evil. It also references historical events such as the Holocaust and the bombing of Hiroshima and includes allusions to literary figures such as Shakespeare, Goethe, and Dante. Additionally, the poem explores the relationship between art and violence, and the ways in which language and thought can be manipulated for both positive and negative purposes.