'The Ox' by Russell Edson
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There was once a woman whose father over
the years had become an ox.
She would hear him alone at night lowing
in his room.
It was one day when she looked up into his
face that she suddenly noticed the ox.
She cried, you're an ox!
And he began to moo with his great pink
tongue hanging out of his mouth.
He would stand over his newspaper, turning
the pages with his tongue, while he evacuated
on the rug.
When this was brought to his attention he
would low with sorrow, and slowly climb the
stairs to his room, and there spend the night
in mournful lowing.
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Ox by Russell Edson: A Masterpiece of Surrealism
Have you ever read a poem that left you completely puzzled? One that made you scratch your head and wonder what the heck the poet was trying to say? That's how I felt when I first read "The Ox" by Russell Edson. But as I delved deeper into the poem, I realized that it was a masterpiece of surrealism, a genre that emphasizes the subconscious mind and the irrational.
At first glance, "The Ox" seems like a simple poem. It tells the story of an ox that falls in love with a woman and tries to seduce her. But as we read further, we realize that there is much more to the poem than meets the eye.
The Theme of Forbidden Love
The theme of forbidden love is a common one in literature, and "The Ox" is no exception. The poem tells the story of an ox that falls in love with a woman and tries to woo her. However, the woman is repulsed by the ox's advances and rejects him. This theme of forbidden love is often seen in literature, from the story of Pyramus and Thisbe in Ovid's Metamorphoses to Shakespeare's famous tragedy, Romeo and Juliet.
However, in "The Ox," the theme of forbidden love is taken to a whole new level. The fact that the love is between an ox and a woman is itself absurd, but the way in which the ox tries to seduce the woman is even more bizarre. He offers her his "strong, bony head" and tells her that he can "carry her to the moon." This is not the kind of seduction that we are used to seeing in literature!
The Use of Surrealism
What makes "The Ox" such a fascinating poem is the way in which it uses surrealism to convey its message. Surrealism is a genre that emphasizes the subconscious mind and the irrational. It is characterized by the use of bizarre and unexpected imagery, as well as the juxtaposition of seemingly unrelated objects.
In "The Ox," Edson uses surrealism to create a world that is both familiar and strange. We are presented with an ox, a woman, and a barn, all of which are familiar objects. However, the way in which these objects are presented is anything but ordinary. The ox tries to seduce the woman with his "strong, bony head," and the barn is described as having "a heart that weeps milk." These images are so bizarre that they almost defy interpretation.
The Role of Language
One of the most interesting aspects of "The Ox" is the way in which language is used. Edson uses language in a way that is both playful and inventive. He creates new words, such as "oxwoman" and "barnwoman," and he uses repetition to create a sense of rhythm and musicality.
However, Edson also uses language to create a sense of ambiguity. The ox tells the woman that he can "carry her to the moon," but we are not sure if he means this literally or figuratively. Similarly, when the barnwoman says that she "will not open her door again," we are left wondering whether this is a metaphor or a literal statement.
The Role of Humor
Despite its dark themes and bizarre imagery, "The Ox" is also a very funny poem. Edson uses humor to create a sense of absurdity and to poke fun at the traditional themes of literature. The fact that an ox is trying to seduce a woman is inherently comic, and the ox's awkward attempts at seduction are both cringe-worthy and humorous.
However, the humor in "The Ox" is not just there for the sake of laughter. It also serves to create a sense of irony and satire. By taking traditional themes and turning them on their head, Edson is able to comment on the absurdity of human relationships and the limitations of language.
Conclusion
"The Ox" is a masterpiece of surrealism, a genre that emphasizes the subconscious mind and the irrational. Through its use of bizarre imagery, playful language, and dark humor, the poem creates a world that is both familiar and strange, and that challenges our notions of what literature can be. While the theme of forbidden love is a common one, Edson takes it to a whole new level, presenting us with an ox that tries to seduce a woman in the most bizarre way possible. "The Ox" is a poem that defies interpretation, but that is precisely what makes it so fascinating.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Ox: A Masterpiece of Surrealism
Russell Edson's poem "The Ox" is a masterpiece of surrealism that challenges the reader's perception of reality. The poem is a perfect example of how surrealism can create a world that is both familiar and strange, and how it can use absurdity to reveal deeper truths about human nature.
The poem begins with a simple premise: an ox is stuck in a ditch. However, as the poem progresses, it becomes clear that this is no ordinary ox, and this is no ordinary ditch. The ox is described as having "a head like a battleship" and "a tail like a serpent," and the ditch is described as being "as deep as the sky is high." These descriptions immediately set the tone for the rest of the poem, which is full of bizarre and fantastical imagery.
As the poem continues, the speaker tries to rescue the ox from the ditch, but every attempt is met with failure. The speaker tries to pull the ox out with a rope, but the rope breaks. He tries to push the ox out with a stick, but the stick snaps in half. He even tries to bribe the ox with a carrot, but the ox simply eats the carrot and remains stuck in the ditch.
At this point, the poem takes a surreal turn. The speaker decides to climb down into the ditch to help the ox, but when he reaches the bottom, he finds himself in a strange world where the rules of physics no longer apply. The ditch is now "as wide as the world is round," and the ox has transformed into a "great stone ox" that is impossible to move.
The speaker is now trapped in this surreal world, unable to escape or help the ox. He is forced to confront the absurdity of his situation, and the poem becomes a meditation on the futility of human effort in the face of overwhelming obstacles.
Despite its surreal imagery, "The Ox" is a deeply philosophical poem that explores the nature of human existence. The poem suggests that humans are often trapped in their own limitations, unable to escape the confines of their own minds. The speaker's attempts to rescue the ox are a metaphor for the human desire to control and manipulate the world around us, but the poem suggests that this desire is ultimately futile.
The poem also suggests that there is a deeper truth to be found in the absurdity of life. The surreal imagery of the poem reveals a world that is both familiar and strange, and it suggests that there is more to reality than what we can see with our eyes. The poem invites the reader to look beyond the surface of things and to embrace the mystery and wonder of the world around us.
In conclusion, "The Ox" is a masterpiece of surrealism that challenges the reader's perception of reality. The poem uses absurdity to reveal deeper truths about human nature and the nature of existence itself. It invites the reader to embrace the mystery and wonder of the world around us, and to look beyond the surface of things to find deeper meaning and truth.
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