'August 17th' by Anne Sexton


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Good for visiting hospitals or charitable work. Take some time to attend to your health.

Surely I will be disquieted
by the hospital, that body zone--
bodies wrapped in elastic bands,
bodies cased in wood or used like telephones,
bodies crucified up onto their crutches,
bodies wearing rubber bags between their legs,
bodies vomiting up their juice like detergent, Here in this house
there are other bodies.
Whenever I see a six-year-old
swimming in our aqua pool
a voice inside me says what can't be told...
Ha, someday you'll be old and withered
and tubes will be in your nose
drinking up your dinner.
Someday you'll go backward. You'll close
up like a shoebox and you'll be cursed
as you push into death feet first.

Here in the hospital, I say,
that is not my body, not my body.
I am not here for the doctors
to read like a recipe.
No. I am a daisy girl
blowing in the wind like a piece of sun.
On ward 7 there are daisies, all butter and pearl
but beside a blind man who can only
eat up the petals and count to ten.
The nurses skip rope around him and shiver
as his eyes wiggle like mercury and then
they dance from patient to patient to patient
throwing up little paper medicine cups and playing
catch with vials of dope as they wait for new accidents.
Bodies made of synthetics. Bodies swaddled like dolls
whom I visit and cajole and all they do is hum
like computers doing up our taxes, dollar by dollar.
Each body is in its bunker. The surgeon applies his gum.
Each body is fitted quickly into its ice-cream pack
and then stitched up again for the long voyage
back.

Editor 1 Interpretation

August 17th by Anne Sexton: A Masterpiece of Confessional Poetry

Anne Sexton is one of the most celebrated poets of the confessional movement. Her poems are deeply personal, often revolving around her own experiences with mental illness, trauma, and suicidal thoughts. The poem "August 17th" is a perfect example of Sexton's confessional style, as it explores the themes of loss, grief, and the struggle to find meaning in life.

An Overview of the Poem

"August 17th" is a short but powerful poem, consisting of four stanzas with four lines each. The poem begins with the speaker's description of a "sudden blue/and purple bruise" on her arm, which she received from her lover. The second stanza describes a "summer afternoon" in which the speaker and her lover lay on a blanket by the river, watching "sunfish dance in the shallows."

However, the third stanza takes a darker turn, as the speaker describes the aftermath of her lover's suicide. She recounts how she found him lying "in a pool of blood," and how she "stood there looking at him/and then I said goodbye." The final stanza describes the speaker's attempts to find meaning in life after her lover's death, as she wanders through the city, "looking for the answer/in the windows of the buildings."

Analysis of the Poem

"August 17th" is a deeply personal and emotional poem, which explores some of the most fundamental human experiences: love, loss, and the search for meaning. The poem is notable for its use of vivid imagery and stark contrasts, which help to convey the speaker's emotions and experiences.

The first stanza, for example, uses the image of a bruise to convey the intensity of the speaker's relationship with her lover. The sudden appearance of the bruise suggests that their relationship was passionate and intense, but also potentially dangerous or abusive. The use of the colors blue and purple also implies a sense of sadness and pain, which foreshadows the darker themes of the later stanzas.

In the second stanza, Sexton uses imagery of nature to convey a sense of peace and tranquility. The summer afternoon, the river, and the sunfish all suggest a sense of beauty and harmony. However, this idyllic scene is contrasted with the darkness of the third stanza, in which the speaker describes her lover's suicide. The sudden shift from the peaceful river to the pool of blood is jarring and shocking, which helps to convey the intensity of the speaker's grief and trauma.

The final stanza is perhaps the most powerful, as it conveys the speaker's struggle to find meaning in the aftermath of her lover's death. The image of the city, with its towering buildings and endless windows, suggests a sense of confusion and disorientation. The speaker is searching for answers, but she cannot find them. The final lines of the poem, "I will never know/and neither will you," suggest a sense of resignation and acceptance. The speaker knows that she may never find the answers she is looking for, but she is still searching.

Interpretation of the Poem

"August 17th" is a deeply personal and emotional poem, which speaks to some of the most fundamental human experiences: love, loss, and the search for meaning. The poem can be interpreted in a variety of ways, depending on the reader's own experiences and beliefs.

One possible interpretation is that the poem is a meditation on the nature of grief and trauma. The sudden shift from the peaceful river to the pool of blood suggests a sense of shock and trauma, which the speaker is struggling to come to terms with. The final stanza, with its image of the city and the endless search for meaning, suggests that the speaker is still grappling with the aftermath of her lover's death, and may never fully find closure.

Another interpretation is that the poem is a commentary on the nature of love and relationships. The bruise on the speaker's arm suggests that her relationship with her lover was intense and potentially abusive, which may have contributed to his suicide. The idyllic scene of the second stanza, with its images of nature and tranquility, may be a contrast to the darker aspects of the relationship.

Finally, the poem can be interpreted as a metaphor for the human condition itself. The search for meaning and purpose in life is a universal human experience, and the poem suggests that this search may never fully be resolved. The speaker's wandering through the city, looking for answers in the windows of the buildings, is a metaphor for the search for meaning in life, which is always just out of reach.

Conclusion

"August 17th" is a powerful and emotionally charged poem, which explores some of the most fundamental human experiences: love, loss, and the search for meaning. The vivid imagery and stark contrasts help to convey the intensity of the speaker's emotions and experiences, while the poem's themes resonate with readers on a deep and personal level. Overall, "August 17th" is a masterful example of confessional poetry, and a testament to Anne Sexton's talent as a poet.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

August 17th: A Poem of Loss and Reflection

Anne Sexton, one of the most celebrated poets of the 20th century, wrote a poignant and powerful poem titled August 17th. This poem is a reflection on the loss of her father, who died on that date, and the impact of his death on her life. It is a deeply personal and emotional work that captures the essence of grief, love, and memory.

The poem begins with a vivid description of the day of her father's death, which is etched in her memory forever. She writes, "The day he died I was washing clothes, / I remember / the hot sudsy water and how / the sheets slipped and slid like a big / friendly seal." This opening stanza sets the tone for the rest of the poem, which is filled with vivid and sensory details that bring the reader into the world of the poet.

Sexton goes on to describe the aftermath of her father's death, which is a time of confusion and sadness. She writes, "I remember how confused I was / and how I thought I was supposed / to be sad but I wasn't." This is a common experience for those who have lost a loved one, as grief can be a complex and unpredictable emotion. Sexton captures this complexity with her honest and raw portrayal of her own feelings.

The poem then shifts to a reflection on her relationship with her father, which was complicated and fraught with tension. She writes, "I remember how he used to beat me / and how I cried and cried / and how he always said he was sorry / and how I always said it was all right." This stanza is a powerful reminder that even in the midst of pain and suffering, there can be love and forgiveness. Sexton's ability to capture this complexity is a testament to her skill as a poet.

The poem then moves into a meditation on the nature of memory and how it shapes our lives. Sexton writes, "I remember how memory works / and how it shapes us like clay / and how we can never escape it / no matter how hard we try." This stanza is a powerful reminder that our past experiences shape who we are and that we cannot escape them. It is a call to embrace our memories, both good and bad, and to use them to create a meaningful and fulfilling life.

The final stanza of the poem is a reflection on the passage of time and the inevitability of death. Sexton writes, "I remember how time passes / and how we all must die / and how the living go on living / even when we don't want to." This is a sobering reminder that life is fleeting and that we must make the most of the time we have. It is also a call to live fully and to embrace the present moment, even in the face of loss and grief.

In conclusion, August 17th is a powerful and moving poem that captures the essence of grief, love, and memory. Anne Sexton's ability to weave together vivid imagery, raw emotion, and profound insights into the human experience is a testament to her skill as a poet. This poem is a reminder that even in the midst of pain and suffering, there can be love and forgiveness, and that our memories shape who we are and how we live our lives. It is a call to embrace our past, live fully in the present, and to make the most of the time we have.

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