“Poems from Guantanamo” edited by Marc Falkhoff exemplifies poetry as a subversive and politicized genre. Poetry is so often perceived as somewhat intangible and theoretical, but Falkhoff’s work demonstrates the capacity of the genre to be a direct proponent and criticism of real-world social issues. It is not just an art form, but a social narrative. Although the genre itself may often be seen as inaccessible, poetry can prove an accessible means to promote a social cause, and is politicized enough to be an effective means for doing so. Poetry is something that can reach large numbers of people. The poems from Guantanamo really demonstrate the broad capacity of a genre.
Shoshana Feltman stated that “literature does justice in a way the law does not or cannot”[1]. She speaks on its ability to be an effective form of activism because it “cannot be closed”. There is not such a defined dichotomy of right versus wrong, and a continuing narrative adds all kinds of new complexities. Many scholars argue that “Poems from Guantanamo” contributes to human rights discussions by “depoliticizing” the subject[2]—making it less about the laws and more about the people. However, I would argue that the book does not take away politicization of the issue, but rather adds a politicized context to poetry. Trapp speculates about the impacts of the book on a Western audience[3]. We see the complexities of reading the book through a lens of “perceived guilt” rather than of “exception”—we do not necessarily assume the poets are innocent even though we begin to connect with them. That is to say we may feel for a poet’s suffering, but we are conflicted by the knowledge that he may have committed violent acts of terrorism. It is in this way that the book is neither about the barbaric nature of Guantanamo, nor the people there.
The format of poetry in itself is an interesting form of activism. In her essay about survivability, Judith Butler speaks on the novel. She recounts how prisoners would carve poetry into Styrofoam cups until they were finally allowed pencils and paper—how this writing was a means of survival and humanity for them[4]. In another sense, she discusses how these poems serve to establish a social connection that would not otherwise exist between the prisoners of Guantanamo and the readers in the west. This implies multiple dimensions of the effect of poetry as a genre. George Fragopoulos talks about the “dividing line between aesthetics and politics”[5]—a line that is being blurred by this politicized poetry. Poetry is very often personal and venerable, which is exactly what makes it such an effective means of communication.
This visibility and connection of these realities has broader political implications. Once people begin to see the detainees as people they begin to question the legitimacy of the procedures of Guantanamo bay. Erin Trapp argues that a big part of what the poems do is make many of the human rights violations that are happening visible and known. The actions taken by the US for the sake of the “war on terror” are more plainly seen and scrutinized. Butler argues that the reason the poems are so politicized is that they “convey a moral responsiveness to unjust ways”. The suffering in the poetry is visible and very moving. She also refers to the poems written as an “act of resistance”.
Since the poems carry these realities that are potentially detrimental to US policy it is hard to see why the book was even allowed in the first place. Only a few poems were okayed to be published however, the vast majority were filtered out by the department of security. They claimed that many of these poems posed a threat because of “potential encoded messages”. Marc Falkhoff countered this claim however by stating “The military wasn’t afraid of a secret message—but realizing the humanity of the detainees”. He believes, along with Butler and Trapp that this book and poetry as a genre has the potential to be a powerful force of social change, that they are more than just poems.
[1] Weber, Elisabeth. “Literary Justice? Poems from Guantánamo Bay Prison Camp.” Comparative Literature Studies, vol. 48, no. 3, 2011, pp. 417-434.
[2] Brittain, Victoria. “Reviews: “Poems from Guantánamo: The Detainees Speak” Edited by Mark Falkoff, and, “the Guantánamo Files: The Stories of the 774 Detainees in America’s Illegal Prison,” by Andy Worthington.” Race & Class, vol. 50, no. 3, 2009, pp. 104-106.
[3] Trapp, Erin. “The Enemy Combatant as Poet: The Politics of Writing in Poems from Guantanamo.” Postmodern Culture, vol. 21, no. 3, 2011, pp. no pagination-no pagination.
[4] Fragopoulos, George. “The Politics and Poetics of Transliteration in the Works of Olga Broumas and George Economou.” Melus, vol. 39, no. 4, 2014, pp. 140.
[5] Butler, Judith. Frames of War: When is Life Grievable? Verso, New York;London [England];, 2009.