'Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs' by Anne Sexton
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No matter what life you lead
the virgin is a lovely number:
cheeks as fragile as cigarette paper,
arms and legs made of Limoges,
lips like Vin Du Rhône,
rolling her china-blue doll eyes
open and shut.
Open to say,
Good Day Mama,
and shut for the thrust
of the unicorn.
She is unsoiled.
She is as white as a bonefish.
Once there was a lovely virgin
called Snow White.
Say she was thirteen.
Her stepmother,
a beauty in her own right,
though eaten, of course, by age,
would hear of no beauty surpassing her own.
Beauty is a simple passion,
but, oh my friends, in the end
you will dance the fire dance in iron shoes.
The stepmother had a mirror to which she referred--
something like the weather forecast--
a mirror that proclaimed
the one beauty of the land.
She would ask,
Looking glass upon the wall,
who is fairest of us all?
And the mirror would reply,
You are the fairest of us all.
Pride pumped in her like poison.
Suddenly one day the mirror replied,
Queen, you are full fair, 'tis true,
but Snow White is fairer than you.
Until that moment Snow White
had been no more important
than a dust mouse under the bed.
But now the queen saw brown spots on her hand
and four whiskers over her lip
so she condemned Snow White
to be hacked to death.
Bring me her heart, she said to the hunter,
and I will salt it and eat it.
The hunter, however, let his prisoner go
and brought a boar's heart back to the castle.
The queen chewed it up like a cube steak.
Now I am fairest, she said,
lapping her slim white fingers.
Snow White walked in the wildwood
for weeks and weeks.
At each turn there were twenty doorways
and at each stood a hungry wolf,
his tongue lolling out like a worm.
The birds called out lewdly,
talking like pink parrots,
and the snakes hung down in loops,
each a noose for her sweet white neck.
On the seventh week
she came to the seventh mountain
and there she found the dwarf house.
It was as droll as a honeymoon cottage
and completely equipped with
seven beds, seven chairs, seven forks
and seven chamber pots.
Snow White ate seven chicken livers
and lay down, at last, to sleep.
The dwarfs, those little hot dogs,
walked three times around Snow White,
the sleeping virgin. They were wise
and wattled like small czars.
Yes. It's a good omen,
they said, and will bring us luck.
They stood on tiptoes to watch
Snow White wake up. She told them
about the mirror and the killer-queen
and they asked her to stay and keep house.
Beware of your stepmother,
they said.
Soon she will know you are here.
While we are away in the mines
during the day, you must not
open the door.
Looking glass upon the wall . . .
The mirror told
and so the queen dressed herself in rags
and went out like a peddler to trap Snow White.
She went across seven mountains.
She came to the dwarf house
and Snow White opened the door
and bought a bit of lacing.
The queen fastened it tightly
around her bodice,
as tight as an Ace bandage,
so tight that Snow White swooned.
She lay on the floor, a plucked daisy.
When the dwarfs came home they undid the lace
and she revived miraculously.
She was as full of life as soda pop.
Beware of your stepmother,
they said.
She will try once more.
Snow White, the dumb bunny,
opened the door
and she bit into a poison apple
and fell down for the final time.
When the dwarfs returned
they undid her bodice,
they looked for a comb,
but it did no good.
Though they washed her with wine
and rubbed her with butter
it was to no avail.
She lay as still as a gold piece.
The seven dwarfs could not bring themselves
to bury her in the black ground
so they made a glass coffin
and set it upon the seventh mountain
so that all who passed by
could peek in upon her beauty.
A prince came one June day
and would not budge.
He stayed so long his hair turned green
and still he would not leave.
The dwarfs took pity upon him
and gave him the glass Snow White--
its doll's eyes shut forever--
to keep in his far-off castle.
As the prince's men carried the coffin
they stumbled and dropped it
and the chunk of apple flew out
of her throat and she woke up miraculously.
And thus Snow White became the prince's bride.
The wicked queen was invited to the wedding feast
and when she arrived there were
red-hot iron shoes,
in the manner of red-hot roller skates,
clamped upon her feet.
First your toes will smoke
and then your heels will turn black
and you will fry upward like a frog,
she was told.
And so she danced until she was dead,
a subterranean figure,
her tongue flicking in and out
like a gas jet.
Meanwhile Snow White held court,
rolling her china-blue doll eyes open and shut
and sometimes referring to her mirror
as women do.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Introduction
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is one of the most beloved fairy tales of all time, and Anne Sexton's rendition of it is nothing short of magical. Sexton's interpretation of the classic story brings new layers of depth and meaning to the characters and events. Her poetic style and use of language create a haunting and powerful atmosphere that draws the reader in and immerses them in the story.
Background
Anne Sexton was an American poet who is often associated with the Confessional Poetry movement, which emerged in the 1950s and 1960s. Her work often dealt with personal experiences and emotions, and she was known for her candid and raw writing style. Sexton's version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was published in her 1971 collection Transformations, which reimagines classic fairy tales with a modern twist.
Literary Analysis
Sexton's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a haunting and powerful poem that explores the themes of beauty, jealousy, and power. The poem begins with the description of the queen, who is jealous of Snow White's beauty and orders her huntsman to kill her. The huntsman, however, cannot bring himself to do it and instead leaves Snow White in the forest.
The scene is set for an exploration of the power of beauty and how it can be both a blessing and a curse. Snow White's beauty is both her greatest asset and her greatest danger. She is hunted by the queen because of it, and yet it is what attracts the seven dwarfs to her and ultimately saves her life.
The seven dwarfs are an interesting addition to the story. In the original fairy tale, they are simply helpers who take Snow White in and protect her from the queen. In Sexton's version, however, they are more complex characters. They are described as "seven little warts" who are "dwarfed by happiness." This suggests that they are not just simple creatures, but rather individuals who have their own desires and emotions.
Sexton's use of language is also worth noting. She creates a haunting atmosphere with her descriptions of the forest and the queen's castle. The forest is described as a place of "black trees" and "thorn bushes," while the castle is "as quiet as cobwebs." These descriptions create a sense of foreboding and danger that permeates the entire poem.
The poem also takes on a feminist perspective, with the queen being portrayed as a powerful but ultimately flawed character. She is consumed by jealousy and her desire for power, which ultimately leads to her downfall. Snow White, on the other hand, is a victim of the queen's jealousy, but she is also a strong and resilient character who survives and ultimately triumphs.
Interpretation
Sexton's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs can be interpreted in many ways, but one of the most prominent themes is the power of beauty. Snow White's beauty is both a blessing and a curse, and it ultimately leads to her being hunted by the queen. However, it is also what saves her life, as it attracts the seven dwarfs to her and leads to her eventual salvation.
The seven dwarfs are also an interesting addition to the story, as they represent a sense of community and belonging that is missing from the original fairy tale. They are described as "dwarfed by happiness," suggesting that they have found a sense of contentment and joy in each other's company.
The poem can also be interpreted as a commentary on the dangers of jealousy and the desire for power. The queen is consumed by her jealousy of Snow White's beauty, and she is willing to do whatever it takes to maintain her power. This ultimately leads to her downfall, as her obsession with power blinds her to the consequences of her actions.
Finally, the poem can be interpreted as a feminist retelling of the classic fairy tale. The queen is a powerful but ultimately flawed character who is consumed by her jealousy and desire for power. Snow White, on the other hand, is a victim of the queen's jealousy, but she is also a strong and resilient character who survives and ultimately triumphs.
Conclusion
Anne Sexton's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a haunting and powerful poem that explores the themes of beauty, jealousy, and power. Sexton's use of language and imagery create a sense of foreboding and danger that permeates the entire poem, while her feminist perspective adds a new layer of depth and meaning to the classic fairy tale. Overall, Sexton's version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a masterpiece of modern poetry that is sure to captivate and engage readers for years to come.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a classic fairy tale that has been retold in various forms over the years. However, Anne Sexton's version of the story is a unique and thought-provoking interpretation that delves deeper into the themes of jealousy, beauty, and power.
Sexton's version of the story begins with the classic image of the evil stepmother looking into her magic mirror and asking who is the fairest of them all. However, instead of the usual response, the mirror tells her that Snow White is the fairest. This sets off a chain of events that leads to the stepmother's jealousy and her desire to kill Snow White.
The stepmother's jealousy is a central theme in Sexton's version of the story. She is consumed by her desire to be the most beautiful and powerful woman in the land, and she sees Snow White as a threat to her position. This jealousy drives her to take extreme measures to eliminate Snow White, including sending a huntsman to kill her and later attempting to poison her with an apple.
Sexton's portrayal of the stepmother as a jealous and power-hungry woman is a commentary on the societal pressures placed on women to conform to certain beauty standards. The stepmother's obsession with her appearance and her fear of losing her power and status reflect the ways in which women are often judged and valued based on their looks.
Snow White, on the other hand, represents a different kind of beauty. She is described as having skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony. Her beauty is not just physical, but also comes from her kind and gentle nature. She is a symbol of innocence and purity, which makes her a threat to the stepmother's power.
Sexton's portrayal of Snow White as a pure and innocent victim is also a commentary on the ways in which women are often objectified and valued solely for their physical appearance. Snow White's beauty is not just a superficial trait, but also a reflection of her inner goodness and kindness.
The seven dwarfs in Sexton's version of the story also play an important role. They are not just comic relief, but also represent a kind of alternative family for Snow White. They take her in and care for her, providing her with a safe haven from the stepmother's wrath.
The dwarfs also represent a kind of counterbalance to the stepmother's power. They are not interested in wealth or status, but instead value kindness and compassion. Their simple way of life is a contrast to the stepmother's opulence and greed.
Sexton's version of the story also explores the theme of transformation. Snow White undergoes a transformation from a naive and innocent young girl to a wise and powerful woman. She learns to survive in a hostile world and to stand up for herself against those who would do her harm.
The stepmother also undergoes a transformation, but hers is a much darker one. She becomes consumed by her jealousy and her desire for power, ultimately leading to her own downfall.
In conclusion, Anne Sexton's version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a powerful and thought-provoking interpretation of the classic fairy tale. Through her portrayal of the stepmother's jealousy, Snow White's innocence, and the dwarfs' kindness, Sexton explores themes of beauty, power, and transformation. Her version of the story is a reminder of the societal pressures placed on women to conform to certain beauty standards, and the importance of valuing inner beauty and kindness over superficial traits.
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