'The Frog Prince' by Anne Sexton
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Frau Doktor,
Mama Brundig,
take out your contacts,
remove your wig.
I write for you.
I entertain.
But frogs come out
of the sky like rain.Frogs arrive
With an ugly fury.
You are my judge.
You are my jury.My guilts are what
we catalogue.
I'll take a knife
and chop up frog.Frog has not nerves.
Frog is as old as a cockroach.
Frog is my father's genitals.
Frog is a malformed doorknob.
Frog is a soft bag of green.The moon will not have him.
The sun wants to shut off
like a light bulb.
At the sight of him
the stone washes itself in a tub.
The crow thinks he's an apple
and drops a worm in.
At the feel of frog
the touch-me-nots explode
like electric slugs.
Slime will have him.
Slime has made him a house.Mr. Poison
is at my bed.
He wants my sausage.
He wants my bread.Mama Brundig,
he wants my beer.
He wants my Christ
for a souvenir.Frog has boil disease
and a bellyful of parasites.
He says: Kiss me. Kiss me.
And the ground soils itself.Why
should a certain
quite adorable princess
be walking in her garden
at such a time
and toss her golden ball
up like a bubble
and drop it into the well?
It was ordained.
Just as the fates deal out
the plague with a tarot card.
Just as the Supreme Being drills
holes in our skulls to let
the Boston Symphony through.But I digress.
A loss has taken place.
The ball has sunk like a cast-iron pot
into the bottom of the well.Lost, she said,
my moon, my butter calf,
my yellow moth, my Hindu hare.
Obviously it was more than a ball.
Balls such as these are not
for sale in Au Bon Marché.
I took the moon, she said,
between my teeth
and now it is gone
and I am lost forever.
A thief had robbed by day.Suddenly the well grew
thick and boiling
and a frog appeared.
His eyes bulged like two peas
and his body was trussed into place.
Do not be afraid, Princess,
he said, I am not a vagabond,
a cattle farmer, a shepherd,
a doorkeeper, a postman
or a laborer.
I come to you as a tradesman.
I have something to sell.
Your ball, he said,
for just three things.
Let me eat from your plate.
Let me drink from your cup.
Let me sleep in your bed.
She thought, Old Waddler,
those three you will never do,
but she made the promises
with hopes for her ball once more.
He brought it up in his mouth
like a tricky old dog
and she ran back to the castle
leaving the frog quite alone.That evening at dinner time
a knock was heard on the castle door
and a voice demanded:
King's youngest daughter,
let me in. You promised;
now open to me.
I have left the skunk cabbage
and the eels to live with you.
The kind then heard her promise
and forced her to comply.The frog first sat on her lap.
He was as awful as an undertaker.
Next he was at her plate
looking over her bacon
and calves' liver.
We will eat in tandem,
he said gleefully.
Her fork trembled
as if a small machine
had entered her.
He sat upon the liver
and partook like a gourmet.
The princess choked
as if she were eating a puppy.
From her cup he drank.
It wasn't exactly hygienic.
From her cup she drank
as if it were Socrates' hemlock.Next came the bed.
The silky royal bed.
Ah! The penultimate hour!
There was the pillow
with the princess breathing
and there was the sinuous frog
riding up and down beside her.
I have been lost in a river
of shut doors, he said,
and I have made my way over
the wet stones to live with you.
She woke up aghast.
I suffer for birds and fireflies
but not frogs, she said,
and threw him across the room.
Kaboom!Like a genie coming out of a samovar,
a handsome prince arose in the
corner of her bedroom.
He had kind eyes and hands
and was a friend of sorrow.
Thus they were married.
After all he had compromised her.He hired a night watchman
so that no one could enter the chamber
and he had the well
boarded over so that
never again would she lose her ball,
that moon, that Krishna hair,
that blind poppy, that innocent globe,
that madonna womb.
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Frog Prince: Exploring the Depths of Human Psyche
When it comes to retelling fairy tales, Anne Sexton's name needs no introduction. The acclaimed American poet has reimagined several stories from Grimm's collection, infusing them with raw emotions, dark humor, and subversive themes. However, her version of "The Frog Prince" stands out for its unflinching portrayal of human fragility, desire, and transformation.
At first glance, Sexton's poem seems to follow the traditional plot of the fairy tale. A princess drops her golden ball in a pond, and a frog offers to retrieve it in exchange for her companionship. The princess reluctantly agrees but breaks her promise, prompting the frog to reveal his true identity as a prince and claim her as his bride. However, Sexton's version delves deeper into the psychology of the characters, exploring their inner conflicts, motivations, and fears.
One of the most striking aspects of Sexton's poem is her use of imagery, which ranges from the grotesque to the sublime. She describes the frog's appearance in vivid, almost repulsive detail, emphasizing his slimy skin, bulging eyes, and croaking voice. At the same time, she imbues the pond with a mystical, almost hypnotic quality, portraying it as a portal to the underworld or the subconscious. The contrast between the frog's ugliness and the pond's beauty creates a tension that reflects the princess's ambivalence towards her own desires.
Indeed, the princess is the focal point of Sexton's poem, and her character is a complex mix of innocence, rebellion, and self-awareness. Unlike the passive, obedient heroine of the original tale, Sexton's princess is a curious, imaginative, and restless young woman who longs for adventure and freedom. She is also acutely aware of her own beauty and the power it gives her over others. However, her confidence is tempered by a sense of isolation and loneliness, as she is trapped in a castle that represents the restrictions of her gender and class.
When the princess meets the frog, she is both intrigued and repulsed by him. She sees him as a grotesque creature, but also as a potential ally or confidant. She agrees to his bargain not out of compassion or gratitude, but out of a childish whim to test his loyalty. However, when the frog demands her company and tries to enter her bed, she resists him fiercely, realizing that he represents a threat to her autonomy and integrity. The frog's transformation into a prince only complicates matters, as it exposes the princess's own vulnerability and desire for love and validation.
Sexton's portrayal of the frog/prince is equally nuanced and ambiguous. On one hand, he embodies the archetypal figure of the "magical helper" or "shape-shifter," who guides the hero/ine through a process of initiation and transformation. He represents the princess's unconscious, her shadow self, or her repressed desires. He also personifies the theme of metamorphosis, which is a recurring motif in Sexton's work and reflects her own struggles with identity and self-expression. However, the frog/prince is also a paradoxical figure, who embodies both the prince's nobility and the frog's baseness. He is a trickster, a seducer, and a manipulator, who uses the princess's naivety and vanity to gain her affection and loyalty.
The climax of Sexton's poem is a powerful, disturbing image that encapsulates the themes of transformation, sacrifice, and redemption. The frog/prince asks the princess to cut off his head and burn his body, claiming that it is the only way to break his curse and restore his humanity. The princess complies, but her act of violence and mercy also reveals her own fragility and mortality. She realizes that she is not immune to the darkness and death that surround her, and that she too is capable of both cruelty and compassion.
The final lines of Sexton's poem leave the reader with a sense of ambiguity, uncertainty, and wonder. The princess sees the ashes of the frog/prince turn into a chorus of voices, singing a song that she cannot understand. She realizes that she has entered a realm of mystery and transformation, where the boundaries between life and death, human and animal, self and other, are blurred and dissolved. She also realizes that she has gained a new insight into herself and her world, and that she has undergone a process of initiation and rebirth.
In conclusion, Anne Sexton's "The Frog Prince" is a masterful retelling of a classic fairy tale, that transcends its source material and explores the depths of human psyche. Through her use of imagery, characterization, and symbolism, she creates a complex, ambiguous, and haunting world, that challenges our assumptions about gender, sexuality, power, and identity. Her poem is a testament to the power of poetry to transform and illuminate our lives, and to the enduring relevance of fairy tales as a means of understanding our deepest fears and desires.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Frog Prince: A Classic Poem by Anne Sexton
Anne Sexton's "The Frog Prince" is a classic poem that has captured the hearts of readers for decades. The poem is a retelling of the classic fairy tale of a prince who is turned into a frog by a wicked witch and can only be transformed back into a human by the kiss of a princess. However, Sexton's version of the story is not a simple retelling of the fairy tale. Instead, it is a complex and nuanced exploration of the themes of transformation, love, and the power of language.
The poem begins with the image of a frog sitting on a lily pad in a pond. The frog is described as "a green-skinned prince" who has been transformed into a frog by a witch's curse. The image of the frog on the lily pad is a powerful one, as it represents the frog's isolation and loneliness. The frog is trapped in his frog form, unable to communicate with the other creatures in the pond or with the humans who pass by.
The poem then shifts to the perspective of the princess who discovers the frog in the pond. The princess is described as "a girl who knew nothing / about princes and less about love." This description is important because it sets up the idea that the princess is not a typical fairy tale princess. She is not waiting for a prince to come and rescue her, nor is she looking for love. Instead, she is a curious and independent young woman who is intrigued by the frog.
The frog tries to communicate with the princess, but she cannot understand him. This is where the power of language comes into play. The frog is trapped in his frog form because he cannot communicate with the humans around him. He is unable to express his true self, and as a result, he is isolated and alone. The princess, on the other hand, is able to communicate with the humans around her, but she is unable to understand the frog. This creates a barrier between them, and it is only through the power of language that they are able to overcome it.
The frog tells the princess that he is a prince who has been cursed by a witch. He begs her to kiss him so that he can be transformed back into a human. The princess is hesitant at first, but she eventually agrees to kiss the frog. When she does, the frog is transformed back into a prince.
The transformation of the frog into a prince is a powerful moment in the poem. It represents the power of love to transform people and to break down barriers. The frog was trapped in his frog form because he was unable to communicate with the humans around him. However, when the princess kissed him, she was able to understand him and to see him for who he truly was. This allowed him to be transformed back into a human.
The poem ends with the image of the prince and the princess walking hand in hand. The prince is described as "a prince again" and the princess is described as "a girl again." This image is important because it represents the idea that love has the power to transform people and to bring them back to their true selves. The prince was trapped in his frog form because he was unable to communicate with the humans around him. However, when the princess kissed him, she was able to understand him and to see him for who he truly was. This allowed him to be transformed back into a human, and it allowed the princess to see herself as a girl again, rather than as a princess.
In conclusion, Anne Sexton's "The Frog Prince" is a classic poem that explores the themes of transformation, love, and the power of language. The poem is a retelling of the classic fairy tale of a prince who is turned into a frog by a wicked witch and can only be transformed back into a human by the kiss of a princess. However, Sexton's version of the story is not a simple retelling of the fairy tale. Instead, it is a complex and nuanced exploration of the themes of transformation, love, and the power of language. The poem is a powerful reminder of the transformative power of love and the importance of communication in our lives.
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