Summary

The poem begins in an expectant silence, with hints of brass instruments waiting to play. People move through the crowd. Suddenly, someone takes a breath to begin playing, and the room erupts into sound and light. The onlookers are “[e]ngulfed” by the music (Line 21). Time seems to stop, and even God is unsettled by this worshipful experience.

Analysis

“Jazz Riven” opens with a series of triads, the ascending indentations giving it a fluid, wave-like visual quality. Lines 1, 4, and 7 use a similar structure that creates a repetition reminiscent of a refrain: descriptions of the multilayered darkness in the room, leaning heavily into repeated D, G, and S sounds as well as hard Ks and Ts. There are also alliterative motifs: “struggling silences” and “mute metal” (Lines 3, 6) which illustrate the stagnation of this moment before the action. These opening lines bring to mind more traditional...