[encore] 1113: Egrets, While War by Tishani Doshi

Summary

Summary of The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily - Episode 1113: "Egrets, While War" by Tishani Doshi

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Episode Overview

In episode 1113: "Egrets, While War" of The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily, hosted by Major Jackson and produced by American Public Media in partnership with The Poetry Foundation, listeners are invited to explore the profound intersections of nature, human conflict, and resilience through the evocative poem by Tishani Doshi. Released on May 29, 2025, this encore episode revisits a cherished installment from Major Jackson's tenure, offering both a poetic presentation and a thoughtful reflection that underscores the enduring human spirit amid chaos.

Major Jackson’s Reflection

Starting at [00:31], Major Jackson sets the stage by reflecting on the serene beauty of college campuses, drawing parallels between meticulously maintained landscapes and the illusion of a rational, orderly world. He muses:

"Almost my whole adult life has been spent on picturesque college campuses like this one. Well, manicured lawns pop up, tulip gardens and perfectly trimmed walkways with not a weed in sight." [02:15]

Jackson uses these tranquil settings as metaphors for societal constructs that mask underlying complexities and conflicts. He contrasts the visible order with the often messy realities of experimentation, exploration, and protest that exist beneath the surface. This contemplation segues into his appreciation for "desire lines," unplanned paths that symbolize human agency and the innate desire for freedom:

"Desire lines signify resistance. They represent a disruptive appetite, a thirst, a wish." [05:00]

Analysis of "While War"

Jackson delves into Tishani Doshi’s poem "While War," weaving his interpretations seamlessly with the poem’s vivid imagery. He begins by describing the poem’s setting:

"In the garden egrets are doing their stalking dance, and it's easy to see how they are really feathered dinosaurs flown in through a hole from the past." [03:10]

This opening sets a juxtaposition between the ancient and the contemporary, suggesting an enduring cycle of life and conflict. Jackson interprets the city under siege as a reflection of perpetual turmoil:

"Somewhere a city under siege remains sleepless. The dirge of loss, recovery, loss, loss, loss continues." [04:20]

He connects personal loss and ancestral heritage to broader themes of displacement and resilience:

"Ancestors who stepped from ocean to land shedding fin tail, gill to transform into a symphony of great aunts and uncles." [05:30]

Key Themes Discussed

1. Human Agency and Resistance: Jackson highlights the concept of desire lines as embodiments of human will and curiosity, emphasizing the natural inclination to seek freedom beyond imposed boundaries.

2. Intergenerational Legacy: The poem reflects on the continuity of human struggle and adaptation, tracing lineage back to primordial transformations and the persistent quest for identity and place.

3. Nature and Conflict: Through the imagery of egrets and "feathered dinosaurs," the poem intertwines natural beauty with the harsh realities of war, illustrating the coexistence of peace and unrest.

4. Resilience Amidst Adversity: The recurring cycle of loss and recovery underscores the resilience required to navigate personal and collective tragedies.

Notable Quotes

• On Desire Lines and Human Will:

  "Desire lines signify resistance. They represent a disruptive appetite, a thirst, a wish." [05:00]

• On Ancestral Heritage:

  "Ancestors who stepped from ocean to land shedding fin tail, gill to transform into a symphony of great aunts and uncles." [05:30]

• On Nature’s Mysteries:

  "But here the earth remains leashed to mystery. Clay fingerprint fragment of jaw the sea retracts her tongue like a warning." [06:45]

• On Human Resilience:

  "Our task is to march on, to rise and leave the apple orchard, throw stones at marauders who threaten to tear up the carpets." [06:15]

Conclusion

Major Jackson’s thoughtful engagement with Tishani Doshi’s "While War" offers listeners a layered exploration of how poetry can encapsulate the complexities of human existence. By intertwining personal reflections with poetic analysis, Jackson illuminates the persistent threads of struggle, resilience, and the unyielding quest for understanding that define our collective journey. This episode serves as a poignant reminder of poetry’s power to convey profound truths and inspire moments of reflection amidst the relentless pace of modern life.

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Transcript

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[Major Jackson]

Hey, it's major. Over the past few years, I've had the great privilege of sharing poetry with you and offering a daily moment to pause and slow down. Today we're revisiting one of my favorite episodes from my time on the show. I hope you enjoy this selection. I'm Major Jackson and this is the Slowdown. It's a time of blooming. Outside my window, students make their way to classes. Cherry blossom petals christen their walk. Almost my whole adult life has been spent on picturesque college campuses like this one. Well, manicured lawns pop up, tulip gardens and perfectly trimmed walkways with not a weed in sight. The sense of order is allegorical. These expanses of green convey the illusory spirit of a rational and ordered world, one where learning is an ideologically safe undertaking. To learn is a preordained path to self discovery and functional knowledge. A carefully fertilized landscape does not hint at the messiness of experimentation, exploration, and even protests, though I know it exists, nor the context by which learning takes place. Often the serene nature of such cultivated settings belies a planet full of conflict and in disarray. To stroll on campus is to follow in the footsteps of generations of young people who also sought answers back in the day before the dominance of handheld tech. The walk between the halls of learning and the library and and a professor's office perhaps possessed grander symbolism. It spoke to the monastic roots of being a student. We were literally on the path. Now it seems we are mostly in rabbit holes, matrices of mind data. Which is why I love to encounter desire lines, a term coined by landscape architects for those unplanned footpaths that result out of need and will, those worn down patches of grass and dirt. They look unruly, but they are evidence of the irrefutable nature of human agency, curiosity, and will. Desire lines signify resistance. They represent a disruptive appetite, a thirst, a wish. Staying within boundaries and borders is an almost impossible ask of humans who naturally long for freedom. Today's compelling poem honors the ancient and indomitable essence of human beings who continue on even in the face of tragedy, who cross over into the perfect fullness of their truth and emotions. While war by Tashani Doshi in the garden egrets are doing their stalking dance, and it's easy to see how they are really feathered dinosaurs flown in through a hole from the past. Somewhere a city under siege remains sleepless. The dirge of loss, recovery, loss, loss, loss continues. I cannot say why other people's family portraits fill me with such tectonic longing. Ancestors who stepped from ocean to land shedding fin tail, gill to transform into a symphony of great aunts and uncles. We bury clues of our dispossession, bony plated language, heart scarab. Our task is to march on, to rise and leave the apple orchard, throw stones at marauders who who threaten to tear up the carpets. Father will file a missing person report while spring carries on with its hedonism. Whatever we fear has already happened will keep happening if we could just wake to fullness in a delta with the berry red lips of an amorous God upon us, climb trees to listen to heartbeats. But here the earth remains leashed to mystery. Clay fingerprint fragment of jaw the sea retracts her tongue like a warning. Winged creatures lurch and soar, Whiteness then vanishing. The Slowdown is a production of American Public Media in partnership with the Poetry Foundation. This project is also supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. On the [e-mail] to get a poem delivered to you daily, go to slowdownshow.org and sign up for our newsletter and find us on Instagram @downdownshow.

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