I want to share a poem by Bob Kaufman titled “Believe, Believe.” Although this poem was written decades ago, its warning remains deeply meaningful for what is happening in our society today.
“Believe in this. Young apple seeds,
in blue skies,
and electric cities.”
Excerpt from “Believe, Believe” by Bob Kaufman (© 1996 Eileen Kaufman, Coffee House Press). Full poem available at Poetry Foundation.
The author’s creative background was shaped by the Cold War era, following the rise of McCarthyism. At that time, the whole country went through an “anti-communist witch hunt.” Opposing communism was indeed beneficial to America, and as someone who comes from a communist country myself, I understand the many evils of that system. However, during that period, anyone suspected of “sympathizing with communism” or having “left-leaning ideas” could be investigated, lose their job, or be blacklisted. The author was one of the rebellious young poets known as the Beat Generation. Through this poem, he reveals the tense atmosphere in the United States at that time, when people were afraid to say the wrong thing or even think the wrong thoughts. Many artists and thinkers faced censorship, and their creativity was restricted. Meanwhile, the government and the media focused heavily on science, technology, and political propaganda while neglecting humanity and compassion.
In the poem itself, the word “believe” appears repeatedly and serves as the key term in the title as well as the spiritual thread running through the whole piece (Kaufman). The author uses “young apple seeds” to symbolize life and hope, and the “sounds of jazz” to encourage readers to “believe” in them rather than in the power of the “sick controllers” (Kaufman). The latter only brings destruction, while the former represents freedom and life. The poet also uses several ironic metaphors to emphasize his theme. For example, “blue-suited insects” is a metaphor for the institutionalized and indifferent politicians and bureaucrats, while “the Bomb” refers to the atomic bomb and nuclear weapons, symbolizing fear, control, and humanity’s self-destruction (Kaufman). Through these dark metaphors, which contrast sharply with earlier images of life and freedom, the poet calls on people not to fall into the fear and control created by society, but to remain clear-minded and calm, using art, music, and poetry to resist numbness and oppression.
In terms of structure, this poem is a free verse piece without rhyme or a strict rhythm. However, through repetition and contrasting imagery, it reveals a subtle, underlying sense of rhythm. Just like the poet mentions the “sounds of jazz,” the poem carries an inner rhythm and a feeling of free improvisation (Kaufman). Jazz is not only a recurring image throughout the poem but also a reflection of its language and rhythm. In other words, the poet makes “jazz” both one of the thematic elements and the structural form of the poem, achieving a perfect unity between content and form.
Overall, although this poem was written during the Cold War, when American society was filled with fear, censorship, and ideological control, the poet’s criticism focuses on how those in power used fear to manipulate public thought and speech, making people blindly obey the will of the government. The same kind of crisis still exists in America today in 2025. People are often forced to choose between extreme positions, and public opinion has lost its balance between reason and emotion. Fear narratives cause people to lose their sense of reason, while emotion is exploited to fuel division. This imbalance and sickness are exactly what Kaufman warns against in his poem. When society is ruled by fear and power, humanity, freedom, and creativity are destroyed. Because the manipulation of fear and power revealed in the poem still exists today, using Political Criticism to analyze it is not only appropriate but also helps reveal the poem’s relevance to reality and the personal sense of awareness it gives me.
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