Demons haunt poet Peter Balakian. They suffocate his thoughts, tear at his heart and drag tears from his eyes until he has no choice but to appease and quiet them with his poetry. A collection of his poems, “June-tree: New and Selected Poems (1974-2000),” serve as a powerful weapon to combat his fears and confusion. Whether he writes about his Armenian background, his two children or his favorite Bob Dylan song, Balakian’s disillusionment with his past and the past of his people reverberates around his verse and throughout his tangled words. Balakian’s sensuous and passionate voice also begs for understanding the mass genocide that claimed several members of his grandmother’s family.
“June-tree” does not deal with the historical aspect of genocide. Rather, it focuses on deeply personal aftershocks and the effect it had on Balakian’s life. As a third-generation poet, telling of his ancestor’s horrific experiences, his poems act as a way for him to reconcile with his history.
Several subjects reoccur throughout Balakian’s work, including death, violence, nature and childhood, but the pain of loss is the foundation of his verses. The selections from his early work deal largely with the death of his father and his grandmother. These poems are heavy and dark, difficult to digest, dragging down the heart with memory.
There are some bright spots in his work. His words smile playfully in the few poems about his young children. Musings and memories of growing up surrounded by Armenian culture color his words and expression. In one poem, “The Oriental Rug,” Balakian recalls, “I napped in the pile/ in the brushed and bruised/ Kashan on our living room floor/ an eight-year-old sleeping/ … between the flowers/ undulates as if the backs/ of heavy sheep were breathing/ in my mouth.”
The poem begins innocently, with Balakian as a happy, secure child basking in the small joys of his Armenian culture. However, the second part of the poem details the fear of an adult unraveling the same rug, tearing apart his past and searching wildly for meaning and understanding.
Throughout “June-tree,” Balakian experiences a maturation of sorts. The book includes selections from four older poetry volumes — “Dyer’s Thistle” (1996), “Reply From Wilderness Island” (1988), “Sad Days of Light” (1983) and “Father Fisheye” (1979) — as well as a smattering of new poems. Similar themes run through each of the five sections, but a definite change occurs in Balakian over the progression of years. His first attempts at poetry, collected in “Father Fisheye,” show raw emotion in a simple, straightforward manner. However, in his newer work, especially in his most recent poems, Balakian’s style takes on a new complexity. His word choice is more detailed and mystifying, and reflects the complexity of his thoughts and emotions as he reaches middle age.
Balakian possesses a stark, urgent style. His use of imagery brings his violent and controversial thoughts and feelings to the surface. He uses the theme of nature especially well in his images. The vivid colors of the flowers in his yard, the violent death of a fish he has caught and the red blood that spills from a lamb’s neck as he hacks it open are all examples of the natural imagery Balakian uses to create a strong life and death duality in his poetry.
Although his style is neither distinctive nor flashy, his diction often clutters his clear thoughts, by his choice of words that are overly descriptive and dramatic. This clutter and description, along with brief bouts of unleashed alliteration, create a heavy feel in the poems. A reader could spend hours with a single poem and still not understand every word and reference.
“June-tree: New and Selected Poems (1974-2000)” is a concise, well-chosen variety of Balakian’s poetry. However, the order of the poems is somewhat random. Though the poems deal with similar themes, no real insight surfaces from within this arrangement. In essence, “June-tree” serves as a disjointed introduction to a talented and passionate writer. The volume speaks to Balakian’s talent as a poet — his beautiful use of imagery and tactful handling of personal issues show a definite maturity and skill, but neglects to distinguish him as an effective communicator. However, if his desired intent was to prompt remembrance and a call to action, he has excluded a large amount of his readership by using words and references that muddle his clear voice. The reader is left wondering what to feel.
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