Can Hope and History Rhyme?

Seamus Heaney, the Irish Nobel laureate poet, said, “When confusion and confliction rule the day, it’s a good time to hear from a poet.” This is such a time and I think it good advice. So let’s hear from Heaney himself. In his verse adaption of a Sophocles play, titled The Cure at Troy in Heaney’s version, he has the following oft-quoted lines: 

History says, Don't hope
On this side of the grave,
But then, once in a lifetime
The longed-for tidal wave
Of justice can rise up
And hope and history rhyme. 

These words straddle the cavernous gap between optimism and despair. They acknowledge the persistence of evil in the human experience, but refuse cynicism about it. One application for Heaney was the end of violence in Northern Ireland through negotiation between centuries-old enemies. It wasn’t theoretical for Heaney. He grew up a Catholic amidst the violence and had friends and family members murdered. (See his poem, “The Strand at Lough Beg.”) And he admits to not knowing how long this peace will last. 

In our present time of “confusion and confliction” we face a question—Is now a time when “hope and history” might “rhyme”? 

I am not sure it is. There is a persistent streak of foolishness from all corners in our collective reactions to the killing of George Floyd. And yet there is also wisdom and hope. I am not one of those who thinks “nothing has changed” for Black Americans in the last 60 years. But I do believe not nearly enough has changed. It feels to me like the stage is set for a more quantum rather than incremental change. Which will depend, of course, on our collective actions rather than our collective words. 

This poet has increased my hope. I’m pulling for a rhyme.