'The Evil Eye' by Anne Sexton
AI and Tech Aggregator
Download Mp3s Free
Tears of the Kingdom Roleplay
Best Free University Courses Online
TOTK Roleplay
It comes oozing
out of flowers at night,
it comes out of the rain
if a snake looks skyward,
it comes out of chairs and tables
if you don't point at them and say their names.
It comes into your mouth while you sleep,
pressing in like a washcloth.
Beware. Beware.
If you meet a cross-eyed person
you must plunge into the grass,
alongside the chilly ants,
fish through the green fingernails
and come up with the four-leaf clover
or your blood with congeal
like cold gravy.
If you run across a horseshoe,
passerby,
stop, take your hands out of your pockets
and count the nails
as you count your children
or your money.
Otherwise a sand flea will crawl in your ear
and fly into your brain
and the only way you'll keep from going mad
is to be hit with a hammer every hour.
If a hunchback is in the elevator with you
don't turn away,
immediately touch his hump
for his child will be born from his back tomorrow
and if he promptly bites the baby's nails off
(so it won't become a thief)
that child will be holy
and you, simple bird that you are,
may go on flying.
When you knock on wood,
and you do,
you knock on the Cross
and Jesus gives you a fragment of His body
and breaks an egg in your toilet,
giving up one life
for one life.
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Evil Eye by Anne Sexton
Anne Sexton's The Evil Eye is a haunting poem that explores the themes of loneliness, isolation, and the fear of death. The poem is written in free verse and is comprised of nine stanzas, each with varying numbers of lines. Throughout the poem, Sexton employs vivid imagery and a stark, almost clinical tone to convey the speaker's emotions.
Summary
The poem is narrated by a woman who is haunted by the "evil eye" of death. She is afraid of dying alone and is consumed by a sense of isolation. The speaker describes how she imagines her own death, seeing herself surrounded by no one but "the lightbulbs" and the "lovely rats." She is afraid that her death will be meaningless and that no one will remember her.
The speaker's fear of death is rooted in her loneliness. She describes how she "lives in a house of loneliness" and how she is "always alone." She is afraid that when she dies, she will be forgotten, and that her life will have been for nothing. The speaker's sense of isolation is compounded by her fear of the evil eye. She describes how the evil eye "sees things / that others cannot see" and how it "sees the blackness / at the center of the heart."
Interpretation
The Evil Eye is a deeply personal poem that speaks to the universal fear of death and the desire for human connection. The speaker's fear of dying alone is something that many people can relate to, and Sexton's use of vivid imagery helps to convey the speaker's emotions.
One of the most striking aspects of the poem is the speaker's sense of isolation. She describes how she is always alone, living in a house of loneliness. This sense of isolation is something that many people can relate to, particularly during times of personal crisis. The speaker's fear of being forgotten after she dies is also a common fear. Many people worry about leaving behind a legacy or being remembered after they are gone.
Sexton's use of the evil eye as a metaphor for death is also noteworthy. The evil eye is a powerful symbol in many cultures, and its association with death is a common theme in literature. The evil eye is often depicted as an all-seeing eye that can see into the heart of darkness. In The Evil Eye, Sexton uses the evil eye to represent the speaker's fear of death and the unknown.
Literary Analysis
The Evil Eye is a well-crafted poem that employs a number of literary devices to convey its themes. One of the most notable devices is the use of vivid imagery. Sexton's descriptions of the speaker's surroundings, such as the "lovely rats" and the "lightbulbs," help to create a vivid picture of the speaker's environment. This imagery is also used to convey the speaker's emotions. For example, the image of the "blackness at the center of the heart" is a powerful metaphor for the speaker's fear of death.
Sexton's use of repetition is also noteworthy. The phrase "evil eye" is repeated throughout the poem, creating a sense of foreboding and unease. The repetition of the phrase "I am alone" also reinforces the speaker's sense of isolation.
The poem's structure is also significant. The use of free verse allows Sexton to experiment with form and structure, giving the poem a sense of spontaneity and urgency. The varying lengths of the stanzas also help to create a sense of movement and progression.
Conclusion
The Evil Eye is a powerful and haunting poem that speaks to the universal fear of death and the desire for human connection. Sexton's use of vivid imagery, repetition, and free verse all contribute to the poem's emotional impact. The speaker's sense of isolation is particularly striking, and her fear of being forgotten after she dies is something that many people can relate to. Overall, The Evil Eye is a masterful work of poetry that continues to resonate with readers today.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Evil Eye: A Haunting Poem by Anne Sexton
Anne Sexton is a renowned American poet who is known for her confessional style of writing. Her poems often deal with themes of mental illness, death, and the struggles of being a woman in a patriarchal society. One of her most haunting poems is "The Evil Eye," which was published in her 1974 collection, "Transformations." In this 2000-word analysis, we will explore the themes, symbols, and literary devices used in this poem to understand its deeper meaning.
The poem begins with the speaker describing a woman who has an "evil eye." The woman is described as having a "blackened heart" and a "tongue that flickers like a snake." The speaker warns the reader to stay away from this woman, as she is dangerous and can bring harm to those around her. The use of the term "evil eye" is significant, as it is a common belief in many cultures that certain individuals have the power to cause harm or bad luck simply by looking at someone with ill intent.
The woman with the evil eye is also described as having a "face like a mask." This suggests that she is hiding her true self behind a façade, and that her true intentions are not easily discernible. The use of the word "mask" also implies that the woman is putting on a performance, and that her actions are not genuine.
The theme of deception is further explored in the second stanza, where the speaker describes the woman's "crooked smile" and "sly grin." These descriptions suggest that the woman is not to be trusted, and that she is capable of manipulating those around her. The use of the word "sly" also implies that the woman is cunning and crafty, and that she is able to get what she wants through deceit.
The third stanza of the poem introduces the idea of the woman's power. The speaker describes her as having "a power that can make stones crack." This suggests that the woman has a supernatural ability to cause harm, and that her power is not to be underestimated. The use of the word "crack" also implies that the woman's power is destructive, and that it can cause things to break apart.
The theme of power is further explored in the fourth stanza, where the speaker describes the woman as having "a voice that can make glass shatter." This suggests that the woman's power is not limited to physical harm, but that she is also capable of causing emotional harm through her words. The use of the word "shatter" also implies that the woman's words have a lasting impact, and that they can cause irreparable damage.
The fifth stanza of the poem introduces the idea of the woman's isolation. The speaker describes her as living "in a house with no windows." This suggests that the woman is cut off from the outside world, and that she is isolated from society. The use of the word "windows" also implies that the woman is closed off to new ideas and experiences, and that she is unwilling to change.
The theme of isolation is further explored in the sixth stanza, where the speaker describes the woman as having "no friends, no family, no love." This suggests that the woman is completely alone, and that she has no one to turn to for support. The use of the word "love" also implies that the woman is incapable of forming meaningful relationships, and that she is unable to connect with others on an emotional level.
The seventh stanza of the poem introduces the idea of the woman's past. The speaker describes her as having "a history of pain and sorrow." This suggests that the woman has experienced trauma in her life, and that this has contributed to her current state of being. The use of the word "history" also implies that the woman's past is a significant factor in understanding her present behavior.
The theme of trauma is further explored in the eighth stanza, where the speaker describes the woman as having "a heart that's been broken and never mended." This suggests that the woman has experienced emotional pain, and that she has not been able to recover from it. The use of the word "broken" also implies that the woman is damaged, and that she is unable to function in a healthy way.
The ninth stanza of the poem introduces the idea of the woman's death. The speaker describes her as having "a coffin waiting in the ground." This suggests that the woman's life is coming to an end, and that she is aware of her own mortality. The use of the word "coffin" also implies that the woman's death is inevitable, and that she has accepted this fact.
The theme of death is further explored in the final stanza, where the speaker describes the woman as having "a soul that's already dead." This suggests that the woman has lost her sense of purpose and meaning in life, and that she is simply going through the motions. The use of the word "soul" also implies that the woman's inner self is empty, and that she is unable to find fulfillment.
In conclusion, "The Evil Eye" is a haunting poem that explores themes of deception, power, isolation, trauma, and death. The use of symbols such as the evil eye, the mask, and the coffin, as well as literary devices such as alliteration and imagery, help to create a sense of foreboding and unease. The poem is a powerful commentary on the human condition, and it serves as a reminder that we must be mindful of our actions and their impact on those around us.
Editor Recommended Sites
Coin Payments App - Best Crypto Payment Merchants & Best Storefront Crypto APIs: Interface with crypto merchants to accept crypto on your sitesLearn Sparql: Learn to sparql graph database querying and reasoning. Tutorial on Sparql
No IAP Apps: Apple and Google Play Apps that are high rated and have no IAP
Flutter Training: Flutter consulting in DFW
Polars: Site dedicated to tutorials on the Polars rust framework, similar to python pandas
Recommended Similar Analysis
A Dream Within A Dream by Edgar Allan Poe analysisDreams by Edgar Allan Poe analysis
The Distracted Preacher by Thomas Hardy analysis
Portrait D'une Femme by Ezra Pound analysis
A First Confession by William Butler Yeats analysis
somewhere i have never travelled... (LVII) by e.e. cummings analysis
The only ghost I ever saw by Emily Dickinson analysis
Prospective Immigrants Please Note by Adrienne Rich analysis
Living In Sin by Adrienne Rich analysis
Locksley Hall by Alfred, Lord Tennyson analysis