'45 Mercy Street' by Anne Sexton
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In my dream,
drilling into the marrow
of my entire bone,
my real dream,
I'm walking up and down Beacon Hill
searching for a street sign --
namely MERCY STREET.
Not there.
I try the Back Bay.
Not there.
Not there.
And yet I know the number.
45 Mercy Street.
I know the stained-glass window
of the foyer,
the three flights of the house
with its parquet floors.
I know the furniture and
mother, grandmother, great-grandmother,
the servants.
I know the cupboard of Spode
the boat of ice, solid silver,
where the butter sits in neat squares
like strange giant's teeth
on the big mahogany table.
I know it well.
Not there.
Where did you go?
45 Mercy Street,
with great-grandmother
kneeling in her whale-bone corset
and praying gently but fiercely
to the wash basin,
at five A.M.
at noon
dozing in her wiggy rocker,
grandfather taking a nap in the pantry,
grandmother pushing the bell for the downstairs maid,
and Nana rocking Mother with an oversized flower
on her forehead to cover the curl
of when she was good and when she was...
And where she was begat
and in a generation
the third she will beget,
me,
with the stranger's seed blooming
into the flower called
Editor 1 Interpretation
45 Mercy Street by Anne Sexton: A Dark and Compelling Exploration of Family Trauma and Mental Illness
Is it possible to capture the complexities of human psychology and the aftermath of trauma in mere words? If Anne Sexton's poem "45 Mercy Street" is any indication, the answer is a resounding yes. This haunting and deeply personal work of confessional poetry offers a raw and unflinching exploration of the poet's family history, including her mother's suicide and her own struggles with mental illness. Through vivid imagery, powerful metaphors, and a starkly honest tone, Sexton invites the reader into her world and offers a piercing commentary on the nature of grief and healing.
Context and Background
Before diving into the poem itself, it's important to understand the context in which it was written. Anne Sexton was a prominent American poet who rose to fame in the 1960s and 70s as part of the confessional poetry movement. This style of poetry explored deeply personal and often taboo subjects, such as mental illness, sexuality, and family trauma, in a way that was startlingly honest and raw. Sexton was known for her confessional style, which drew heavily on her own experiences with mental illness and her tumultuous family history.
"45 Mercy Street" was written in the early 1970s, at a time when Sexton was grappling with her own mental health issues and the recent loss of her mother, who had committed suicide several years earlier. The poem is dedicated to her father, who is referred to as "Mr. 78" in the text. According to Sexton's biographer, Diane Middlebrook, this nickname was a reference to her father's age at the time of her mother's suicide, which had a profound impact on the family's dynamics.
Analysis
At its core, "45 Mercy Street" is a meditation on grief and the lasting impact of trauma on the human psyche. The poem is split into three distinct sections, each of which offers a different perspective on the theme. In the first section, Sexton describes the house where she grew up, painting a vivid picture of a place that is both haunted by the past and suffocating in its present state of decay. The language here is rich and evocative, with lines like "the walls slump, their sockets vacant" and "the roof leaks for there are holes / in it where the rain pours through / onto the old beds, the old chest of drawers." These images create a sense of claustrophobia and decay, suggesting that the house itself is a physical manifestation of the family's trauma.
In the second section, Sexton turns her attention to her mother's suicide and the emotional fallout that followed. She describes her own grief in raw and visceral terms, using metaphors that are both powerful and unsettling. "We had been tickled by the rub / of arm and knee," she writes, "we had talked late into the night / and laughed at half-moons on windows." The sense of intimacy and connection that she describes here is abruptly shattered by her mother's death, leaving her feeling "smeared with the grin of mortality." The language is stark and unadorned, reflecting the brutal reality of loss and grief.
The third and final section of the poem is perhaps the most challenging, as Sexton turns her attention to her own struggles with mental illness. She describes the experience of being institutionalized in graphic detail, using images that are at once unsettling and strangely beautiful. "I am crawling toward God," she writes, "I am stretching my hands toward the sky / I am a prisoner of pain / I am a prisoner of pain / I am sick, I am tired, I am blue." The repetition of "I am" creates a sense of dissociation and fragmentation, suggesting that the poet's sense of self has been fractured by her illness.
Themes and Interpretations
At its core, "45 Mercy Street" is a poem about trauma and its lasting effects on the human psyche. Through her vivid imagery and starkly honest tone, Sexton invites the reader into her world and offers a stark commentary on the nature of grief and healing. At the same time, the poem also touches on broader themes of family dynamics, mental illness, and the ways in which our past shapes our present.
One of the central themes of the poem is the idea of home and the ways in which it can be both a source of comfort and a source of pain. Sexton's description of the house on Mercy Street creates a sense of claustrophobia and decay, suggesting that the physical space itself is a reflection of the family's trauma. At the same time, the house is also a site of memory and nostalgia, a place where the poet can connect with her past and her family history.
Another key theme of the poem is the idea of grief and the ways in which it can transform us. Sexton's raw and unadorned language captures the intense pain and dislocation that comes with losing a loved one, particularly to suicide. The metaphor of the "rub of arm and knee" is particularly powerful, suggesting that the intimacy and connection that we share with others is fragile and fleeting.
Finally, the poem also touches on the theme of mental illness and the ways in which it can impact our sense of self. Sexton's experience of being institutionalized is vividly captured in the poem, with images of crawling towards God and stretching her hands towards the sky creating a sense of fragmentation and dissociation. The repetition of "I am" creates a sense of dissociation and fragmentation, suggesting that the poet's sense of self has been fractured by her illness.
Conclusion
In conclusion, "45 Mercy Street" is a haunting and deeply personal work of confessional poetry that offers a raw and unflinching exploration of trauma, grief, and mental illness. Through her vivid imagery, powerful metaphors, and starkly honest tone, Anne Sexton invites the reader into her world and offers a piercing commentary on the nature of healing and recovery. This poem is a testament to the power of poetry to capture the complexities of the human experience and to offer a voice to those who have been silenced by their pain.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Poetry 45 Mercy Street: A Masterpiece of Confessional Poetry
Anne Sexton, one of the most celebrated poets of the 20th century, is known for her confessional style of poetry that delves deep into the human psyche and explores the complexities of human emotions. Her poem, Poetry 45 Mercy Street, is a perfect example of her unique style of writing that combines raw honesty with vivid imagery to create a powerful and moving piece of literature.
The poem is set in Mercy Street, a real street in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where Sexton lived for many years. The street is a metaphor for the poet's inner world, a place where she confronts her demons and struggles to find meaning in her life. The poem is divided into three stanzas, each of which explores a different aspect of the poet's psyche.
The first stanza sets the tone for the poem, with its stark imagery and confessional tone. Sexton describes herself as a "madwoman" who is "locked in her attic" and "beating her head against the wall." This image of a woman trapped in her own mind, struggling to break free from her own thoughts and emotions, is a powerful metaphor for the human condition. We all have moments when we feel trapped by our own fears and anxieties, and Sexton captures this feeling with raw honesty and intensity.
The second stanza is more introspective, as Sexton reflects on her own mortality and the fleeting nature of life. She describes herself as a "ghost" who is "haunted by life" and "haunted by death." This image of a woman caught between life and death, struggling to find meaning in a world that is both beautiful and terrifying, is a powerful reminder of our own mortality. Sexton's use of the word "haunted" is particularly effective, as it suggests that life and death are not separate entities, but rather two sides of the same coin.
The final stanza is perhaps the most powerful of the poem, as Sexton confronts her own demons and finds a glimmer of hope in the darkness. She describes herself as a "woman who loves," who is "learning to love her dark side" and "her light side." This image of a woman embracing both her light and dark sides, and learning to love herself in spite of her flaws and imperfections, is a powerful message of self-acceptance and self-love.
Throughout the poem, Sexton uses vivid imagery and powerful metaphors to explore the complexities of the human psyche. Her use of the word "mercy" in the title of the poem is particularly effective, as it suggests that the poet is seeking mercy from herself, from others, and from the world around her. The poem is a powerful reminder that we are all struggling to find meaning in our lives, and that we must learn to embrace both our light and dark sides in order to find true happiness and fulfillment.
In conclusion, Poetry 45 Mercy Street is a masterpiece of confessional poetry that explores the complexities of the human psyche with raw honesty and intensity. Anne Sexton's use of vivid imagery and powerful metaphors creates a powerful and moving piece of literature that speaks to the human condition in a profound and meaningful way. The poem is a reminder that we are all struggling to find meaning in our lives, and that we must learn to embrace both our light and dark sides in order to find true happiness and fulfillment.
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