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Analysis of Belarusian I by Valzhyna Mort

Valzhyna Mort's poem 'Belarusian I' explores themes of birth, survival, identity, and oppression through visceral imagery and an unpunctuated structure that mirrors chaos. The poem juxtaposes violent experiences with the struggle for existence, illustrating how language and identity are systematically erased under authoritarianism. Ultimately, it reflects on resilience and the uncertain future, symbolized by a gymnast navigating through danger, suggesting that hope persists despite overwhelming adversity.

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Umar Yousuff
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80 views4 pages

Analysis of Belarusian I by Valzhyna Mort

Valzhyna Mort's poem 'Belarusian I' explores themes of birth, survival, identity, and oppression through visceral imagery and an unpunctuated structure that mirrors chaos. The poem juxtaposes violent experiences with the struggle for existence, illustrating how language and identity are systematically erased under authoritarianism. Ultimately, it reflects on resilience and the uncertain future, symbolized by a gymnast navigating through danger, suggesting that hope persists despite overwhelming adversity.

Uploaded by

Umar Yousuff
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Analysis of Belarusian I by Valzhyna Mort

Valzhyna Mort’s Belarusian I is a haunting, visceral poem that explores


themes of birth, survival, identity, oppression, language, and
resilience. The poem’s structure is unpunctuated, allowing its
momentum to build into a relentless, breathless rhythm, mirroring the
chaotic, violent experiences it describes. Below is a detailed analysis of its
key themes and poetic techniques:

1. Birth as Survival & Violence

even our mothers have no idea how we were born


how we parted their legs and crawled out into the world
the way you crawl from the ruins after a bombing

The poem opens with a striking parallel between birth and war. Rather
than a moment of joy, birth is depicted as violent and chaotic, likened
to survivors crawling from ruins. This suggests that life itself—especially in
the poet’s Belarus—is a struggle for existence from the very beginning.
The imagery of war introduces a tone of devastation and loss that
continues throughout the poem.

2. Gender, Identity, and Erasure

we couldn’t tell which of us was a girl or a boy

This line suggests a world where identity is stripped away, where the
distinction between male and female is erased or irrelevant in the
face of survival. It could reflect the idea that oppression does not
discriminate, or that personal identity is lost under the weight of historical
trauma.

3. Starvation and Deception

we gorged on dirt thinking it was bread


and our future a gymnast on a thin thread of the horizon
was performing there at the highest pitch bitch

Here, hunger is both literal and metaphorical. The people are so deprived
that they consume dirt, mistaking it for sustenance. This speaks to a
deeper deception—perhaps a political one—where people are fed illusions
rather than real nourishment (be it food, freedom, or truth).
The gymnast on a thin thread of the horizon represents the fragile
and distant hope for the future. The word "bitch" at the end adds an
abrupt, aggressive tone—perhaps an outburst of anger or defiance against
the precariousness of that future.

4. Oppression and Disappearances

we grew up in a country where


first your door is stroked with chalk
then at dark a chariot arrives
and no one sees you anymore

This passage likely references political disappearances, a reality in


authoritarian regimes. The "chalk" marks the condemned, and the
“chariot” (which normally suggests nobility or myth) ironically becomes a
vehicle of erasure. The calm, almost fairytale-like tone in these lines
makes the horror even more chilling—violence here is normalized, woven
into the fabric of daily life.

5. Love as a Force of Oppression

but riding in those cars were neither armed men nor a wanderer with a
scythe
this is how love loved to visit us and snatch us veiled

Here, love is reimagined as a force of control and disappearance.


The expected agents of death—soldiers, the Grim Reaper—are absent.
Instead, “love” itself is what takes people away. This could refer to a
distorted version of love under authoritarianism, where loyalty to the
state replaces genuine human affection, or where forced obedience is
framed as care.

The word “veiled” suggests secrecy, concealment, or possibly forced


disappearance (as in kidnappings or political repression).

6. Freedom in the Most Degrading Spaces

completely free only in public toilets


where for a little change nobody cared what we were doing

In a deeply ironic twist, the only place people experience freedom is in


public toilets—dirty, hidden, and ignored by society. This could symbolize
how true liberty is only found in spaces of abandonment, where
authority isn’t watching. The phrase “for a little change” suggests
that even this freedom has a price, possibly hinting at economic struggles,
prostitution, or underground resistance.

7. The Loss of Language & Resistance Through the Body

we discovered we ourselves were the language


and our tongues were removed we started talking with our eyes
when our eyes were poked out we talked with our hands
when our hands were cut off we conversed with our toes
when we were shot in the legs we nodded our head for yes
and shook our heads for no

This section is one of the most powerful in the poem. It speaks to the
systematic erasure of language and identity, something that has
historical resonance in Belarus, where the Belarusian language has often
been suppressed in favor of Russian.

 Even when tongues are removed (language is censored),


communication finds a way.

 When eyes are gone (sight is taken), hands take over.

 When hands are cut off, feet are used.

 When legs are shot, the head becomes the final form of
expression.

This relentless adaptation symbolizes resistance, resilience, and the


indestructibility of human expression, even in the face of extreme
oppression.

8. Return to the Womb as a Bomb Shelter

and when they ate our heads alive


we crawled back into the bellies of our sleeping mothers
as if into bomb shelters to be born again

The ultimate act of survival is retreating back into the mother’s womb,
back to safety. This is a desperate, almost mythical image, where birth
and war merge again. The idea of “being born again” suggests a cycle of
destruction and rebirth, perhaps hinting at historical patterns of
oppression in Belarus.

9. The Future’s Uncertain Leap


and there on the horizon the gymnast of our future
was leaping through the fiery hoop of the sun

The gymnast reappears in the final image, now leaping through fire,
symbolizing immense risk and uncertainty. The future is fragile,
acrobatic, and in danger, yet it still persists. The sun could represent
hope, enlightenment, or a force that both nurtures and burns.

Conclusion

Belarusian I is an intense meditation on oppression, identity, and survival.


Through violent imagery and fragmented storytelling, Mort captures the
historical trauma of Belarus while also speaking to universal themes of
erasure, endurance, and the fight to reclaim language and
selfhood.

The nonlinear, unpunctuated style makes the poem feel breathless


and urgent, as if it’s being whispered in a moment of crisis. Despite all the
violence and loss, the final image of the gymnast suggests that the
future is still in motion, however precarious.

Discussion Questions

1. How does Mort use bodily imagery to convey political oppression?

2. What role does language play in the poem?

3. How does the gymnast function as a metaphor for the future?

4. What do you think the phrase “this is how love loved to visit
us” means?

Would love to hear your thoughts! Which part of the poem stood out to
you the most? 😊

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