Historical Context
Tate penned his evocative poem during the vibrant yet tumultuous early 1980s, a period overshadowed by Ronald Reagan's presidency in the United States. Reagan, a stalwart conservative and ardent proponent of robust national defense, was a fervent Cold War figure who infamously labeled the Soviet Union as an “evil empire.” In the wake of Reagan's election in 1981, Congress sanctioned an $18 billion surge in military expenditure. This hefty investment was not merely numerical but strategic, paving the way for a rapid deployment force and the controversial neutron bomb, a weapon designed to inflict catastrophic human casualties while sparing infrastructure.
Reagan's resolute opposition to arms control as a strategy to counter Soviet military threats was underscored by his alarming public pronouncements about the feasibility of a “limited” nuclear war that would restrict devastation to Europe. However, his rigid posture faced formidable opposition from the nuclear freeze movement, a passionate collective striving to arrest the proliferation of nuclear arsenals. Although Congress passed Reagan’s ambitious Strategic Defense Initiative—aptly dubbed “Star Wars”—which envisaged a futuristic network of satellite lasers to annihilate Soviet missiles mid-air, financial allocations fell short of Reagan's ambitious blueprint. By 1986, congressional resistance intensified, stalling further SDI tests and slashing its budget by a third. Despite the escalation of military spending from $157 billion in 1981 to a staggering $233 billion in 1986 under Reagan's leadership, the sense of American security remained elusive.
Simultaneously, across the globe, the Soviet Union was amid its own dramatic transformation under the helm of Mikhail Gorbachev, who championed reforms to inject new dynamism into the country. A pivotal moment arrived in 1985 when Reagan and Gorbachev convened in Geneva for a momentous superpower summit, where Reagan tentatively embraced Gorbachev’s ambitious proposal to slash nuclear arsenals by half. This diplomatic thaw culminated in 1987 with the signing of the historic Intermediate Nuclear Force treaty (INF), obligating both nations to dismantle over 2,500 short-range missiles stationed in Europe.
Meanwhile, the specter of nuclear warfare left an indelible mark on the music scene of the 1980s. Whether conveyed through the pulsating beats of heavy metal, the soulful rhythms of reggae, or the poignant chords of folk and rock, the era's music resonated with nuclear anxieties. Pink Floyd captured the ultimate catastrophe in “Two Suns in the Sunset,” while Underworld's “Underneath the Radar” cleverly employed early warning systems as a metaphor for the complexities of love. The Reagan administration’s nuclear policies elicited a wave of musical protest, echoed in songs like Escape Club’s “Wild, Wild West,” with its lyrics: “Gotta live it up, live it up / Ronnie’s got a new gun / Headin’ for the nineties, livin’ in the eighties, / screamin’ in the backroom, / waitin’ for the big boom.” This cultural milieu was further inflamed by Reagan's notorious faux pas in 1984 when he jested into a seemingly inactive microphone, “We are going to bomb Russia in fifteen minutes,” sparking a flurry of responses in rap and pop lyrics of the time.
Literary Style
Definitions
In “Smart and Final Iris,” the narrative unfolds through a cascade of definitions. These definitions strive to convey the essence of words, phrases, signs, or symbols. Tate shakes up the usual pattern by presenting the definition before naming what it describes. As in the initial stanza, where he outlines “rural paradise” with the chilling descriptor, “Pentagon code / for end of world.” This approach echoes the format of the beloved game show, Jeopardy , where answers precede questions. By using cryptic terms as labels, Tate weaves intricate metaphors. Metaphors, as figures of speech, craft connections between disparate ideas or objects. Often, Tate’s metaphors are steeped in irony, highlighting contrasts that...
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defy expectations. For instance, few would associate “paradise” with apocalyptic devastation. These paradoxical definitions invite readers to view the world through a fresh and provocative lens.
Satire
In “Smart and Final Iris,” satirical elements pierce the armor of the U.S. military’s cavalier stance on nuclear warfare. The piece lampoons the Pentagon’s penchant for cloaking potential nuclear scenarios in cryptic code names. Satire, wielding the tools of irony, wit, and sarcasm, exposes human folly and ignites the spark of change. Rooted in a moral mission, satire seeks to stir societal reflection and action. A time-honored literary tradition, satire endures in modern storytelling, whether in books, movies, or art, often setting its sights on political landscapes and institutions.
Compare and Contrast
1983: President Ronald Reagan unveils a bold initiative, setting in motion a comprehensive study to explore the potential of a missile defense program. This visionary concept, mockingly dubbed "Star Wars" by critics in Congress, marks a dramatic shift in the nation’s three-and-a-half-decade-old nuclear strategy, pivoting from the traditional focus on retaliatory capabilities to a proactive defense against missile threats.
2001: Despite protests from Russia, China, and North Korea at the U.N. Disarmament Commission, who argue that a U.S. missile defense system threatens global security, might spark a renewed arms race, and could destabilize the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, President Bush pushes forward with enhancing the defense initiative. The 2002 defense budget reflects this commitment, earmarking a staggering $8.3 billion for missile defense development.
Libya and Economic Relations
1986: In a decisive move, Washington cuts all economic and commercial ties with Libya, accusing the nation of supporting international terrorism.
2001: In response to Libya handing over two suspects linked to the 1988 Pan Am flight 103 bombing for trial in a Scottish court seated in the Netherlands, the United States adjusts its sanctions against Libya. Humanitarian shipments, comprising donated clothing, food, and medicine, are now permitted, while other sanctions remain firmly in place.
Chernobyl Catastrophe and Its Aftermath
1986: A catastrophic fire ravages the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine, unleashing a massive radiation cloud that spreads across Europe, leaving devastating contamination in its wake across Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus.
2001: Ukrainian authorities report that due to the lingering effects of the Chernobyl disaster, 400,000 adults and an astounding 1.1 million children are currently eligible for state aid.
Tax Reforms Through the Years
1986: President Reagan enacts a groundbreaking tax reform bill, the first sweeping revision since 1954, thereby reshaping the nation’s fiscal landscape.
2001: With a flourish, President Bush signs the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 into law. This monumental 10-year, $1.35 trillion package represents the most significant tax cut since 1981 and heralds the most comprehensive overhaul of the tax system since the Tax Reform Act of 1986.
Media Adaptations
In the year 1992, a unique audiocassette emerged from New Letters on the Air, capturing Tate's voice as he breathed life into his poetry.
To delve deeper into Tate's literary world, visit the Academy of American Poets' dedicated page at poets.org. There, you will uncover biographical treasures and explore a selection of his evocative poems.
Bibliography and Further Reading
Sources
Allen, Dick, Review of Reckoner, in Hudson Review, 1987, p. 510.
Gardner, Stephen, “James Tate,” in Dictionary of Literary Biography, Volume 5: American Poets Since World War II, First Series, edited by Donald J. Greiner, Gale Research, 1980, pp. 318–22.
Gery, John, Nuclear Annihilation and Contemporary Poetry: Ways of Nothingness, University Press of Florida, 1996.
Lifton, Robert Jay, and Nicholas Humphrey, eds., In a Dark Time, Harvard University Press, 1984.
McNamara, Robert, “Mutual Deterrence,” http://www .atomicarchive.com/Docs/Deterrence.shtml (July 13, 2001).
Stroffolino, Chris, “James Tate,” in Dictionary of Literary Biography, Volume 169: American Poets Since World War II, Fifth Series, edited by Joseph Conte, Gale Research, 1996, pp. 275–83.
Tate, James, The Lost Pilot, Yale University Press, 1967. —, Reckoner, Wesleyan University Press, 1986.
Tate, James, and David Lehman, eds., The Best American Poetry 1997, Scribner, 1997.
Upton, Lee, “The Masters Can Only Make Us Laugh,” in South Atlantic Review, 1990, pp. 78–86.
Wiater, Stanley, “Interview,” in Valley Advocate, January 4, 1984.
Further Reading
Bellamy, Joe David, ed., American Poetry Observed, University of Illinois Press, 1988. This volume of interviews is unusual because wellknown contemporary poets interview other wellknown contemporary poets. As a result, the exchange is substantive and focused.
Lifton, Robert Jay, and Nicholas Humphrey, eds., In a Dark Time, Harvard University Press, 1984. Psychiatrists Lifton and Humphrey have collected excerpts from literature of the last 2,500 years that comments on the psychological and imaginative confusion surrounding war. Lifton is known for his psychological studies of survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings.
Tate, James, The Route As Briefed, University of Michigan Press, 1999. This volume collects Tate’s short stories, interviews, and essays. It is an engaging, accessible, and humorous collection.
Tate, James, and David Lehman, The Best American Poetry 1997, Scribner, 1997. Each year, a different poet is invited to guest edit a new volume in this popular series. Tate selected the poems for this volume, and his selections can tell readers as much about his own taste as his own poetry can. Tate’s introduction, “Live Yak Pie,” provides insights into his composing process and his vision of what poetry can be.