Marvel's Eternals: The Poem That Inspired Chloe Zhao's Pitch to Producers
Speculating what Eternals might be about
During an interview at the Marvel’s Eternals Premiere, academy-award winning director Chloe Zhao talked about reciting a William Blake poem to the producers. She said,
“Well, when I first went to pitch the movie, the first thing I showed him [Kevin Feige] was a macro picture of sand. And then, I started reciting a William Blake poem… What he was trying to say in that poem is that you can find endless beauty in the cosmos in the smallest things on Earth. And we were excited to capture that scale… This story allow[s] us to go that epic and that intimate.”
Chloe Zhao & Kevin Feige Interview:
What was the poem Chloe was referring to?
Most people’s guess across the internet, including mine, seems to be Auguries of Innocence (read the full poem here).
The poem starts with these beautiful lines:
To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour
But the poem is not just about looking for the magnificence of the cosmos in the little things on Earth. It is also a look at how if these little things face cruelty in their abodes, its effect transcends on a larger scale, one that can move Heaven and shudder Hell.
A Robin Red breast in a Cage
Puts all Heaven in a Rage
A Dove house fill’d with Doves & Pigeons
Shudders Hell thr' all its regions
A dog starv’d at his Masters Gate
Predicts the ruin of the State
A Horse misus’d upon the Road
Calls to Heaven for Human blood
It is known that if something were to happen to the sun, or a meteor was to hit the Earth, the dog and the grasshopper too will suffer. But it should also be understood that if something were to happen to these tiny beings, the universe wouldn’t lie still either.
How the dog is treated shows how well humans might be treated. How the poor are ignored today shows how one day, the whole of humanity might be ignored by something that considers itself high and worthy of passing judgments — like the Celestial.
Who are Eternals, Celestials, and Deviants?
Eternals are near-immortal beings with superpowers. They evolved as a result of a race of cosmic gods called Celestials interfering and experimenting on our early ancestors — the apes.
This interference/experiment with some of the apes resulted in the evolution of Eternals (god-like humans), Deviants (the destructive beings), and Humans. To understand more about the characters and their origins, read Matt Key’s Who Are THE ETERNALS? Here’s Everything You Need to Know
According to Matt Key,
The Deviants see themselves as the superior beings on the planet and, henceforth, want to conquer humanity to enslave them; the Eternals want all beings to live in peace with each other and, therefore, fight to keep humanity safe from their immortal enemies.
And
…the Celestials return to earth every few thousand years to check on their experiment and, more or less, judge the sentient life of our planet as worthy of continuing or not — i.e. Judgment Day.
In other words, humans face threat from both Deviants and the Celestials. One of them wanting to be superior and conquer all, and the other that already considers itself superior and judges all. And so, the Eternals are fighting to protect humans from these threats.
This brings us to the question: Why would the Eternals want to protect humans at all?
What do they have to lose as immortals if humans are destroyed? What do beings that can harness the energy of the cosmos see in humans that is worthy of protection? This is where, I think, the poem comes in to provide us with an answer.
As immortal beings, who have been alive for thousands of years and have dwelled on Earth for over 7000 years, the Eternals have been among humans, guided them through times, and seen them prosper.
Perhaps the humans made the void of an eternal life bearable by showing them how beautiful life can be with simple acts of humanity. Perhaps they showed that the beauty and glory of the universe lies in not just the existence of mighty creatures like Celestials—who are capable of mighty things like manipulating matter and energy on an immense scale,—but also in the lives of these comparatively insignificant beings on Earth.
The boy that shelters a street dog under his umbrella in the rain. The woman capable of creating life, however small. The father kneeling to tie his son’s shoes. The mother braiding her daughter’s hair. The farmer watering her hard-grown crop. The potter making a jug for the farmer to drink from.
The beauty of life lies in these small acts, that are not very small when seen from within. The might of the universe dwells within these tiny lives that may not be equivalent to gods, but are worth no less. Cruelty to them is cruelty against nature and against the universe.
Eternals teaser trailer gives a glimpse into the answer:
To reiterate Blake’s poem:
To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour
The Eternals have seen the wonder of the entire universe within the acts and lives of these regular beings. Throughout thousands of years, they have seen humans go through it all. They’ve seen them create and destroy, love and hate, cower and brave.
Perhaps, that is why they love humans. Because when you’re with someone for so long, no matter what they do or don’t, you just start to love them and accept them. And as Thena (Angelina Jolie) says in the final trailer, “When you love something… you protect it.”
To see the beauty of the universe within the evolution of culture, kindness, and love among this tiny, experimental group of species on a tiny planet in a corner of a galaxy — that’s worth protecting.
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