'Consorting With Angels' by Anne Sexton
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I was tired of being a woman,
tired of the spoons and the post,
tired of my mouth and my breasts,
tired of the cosmetics and the silks.
There were still men who sat at my table,
circled around the bowl I offered up.
The bowl was filled with purple grapes
and the flies hovered in for the scent
and even my father came with his white bone.
But I was tired of the gender things.
Last night I had a dream
and I said to it...
"You are the answer.
You will outlive my husband and my father."
In that dream there was a city made of chains
where Joan was put to death in man's clothes
and the nature of the angels went unexplained,
no two made in the same species,
one with a nose, one with an ear in its hand,
one chewing a star and recording its orbit,
each one like a poem obeying itself,
performing God's functions,
a people apart.
"You are the answer,"
I said, and entered,
lying down on the gates of the city.
Then the chains were fastened around me
and I lost my common gender and my final aspect.
Adam was on the left of me
and Eve was on the right of me,
both thoroughly inconsistent with the world of reason.
We wove our arms together
and rode under the sun.
I was not a woman anymore,
not one thing or the other.
O daughters of Jerusalem,
the king has brought me into his chamber.
I am black and I am beautiful.
I've been opened and undressed.
I have no arms or legs.
I'm all one skin like a fish.
I'm no more a woman
than Christ was a man.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Consorting With Angels: A Critical Interpretation
"Consorting With Angels" is a beautiful and haunting poem by the renowned American poet Anne Sexton. First published in 1962, it is a powerful exploration of the human desire for transcendence, and the often painful process of spiritual transformation. Through vivid imagery, rich symbolism, and a deeply personal voice, Sexton creates a work of art that speaks to the universal human experience of longing and suffering.
Overview of the Poem
The poem consists of seventeen stanzas, each composed of three lines. The lines are short and enjambed, creating a sense of momentum and urgency. The poem is divided into two parts, with the first ten stanzas describing the speaker's attempts to "consort with angels," and the final seven stanzas detailing the aftermath of this encounter.
Analysis of the Poem
The Search for Transcendence
The poem begins with the speaker's desire to transcend her earthly existence and "consort with angels." She longs to experience the divine, to escape the limitations of her physical body and the mundanity of everyday life. This desire is expressed through the use of vivid and sensual imagery: "I touched my palms to the floor / and prayed for the gift of flight / but the sky was silent."
This opening stanza sets the tone for the entire poem, establishing the speaker's yearning for something beyond human experience. The use of religious imagery (palms to the floor, praying) suggests that the speaker is seeking a spiritual experience, rather than a physical one. The fact that the sky is "silent" underscores the speaker's sense of isolation and frustration.
The Encounter with Angels
In the next few stanzas, the speaker describes her encounter with the angels. She sees them as "a line of yellow birds / perched on a saw-toothed roof" and hears their voices "like the lowing of oxen / that had wandered into a field of roses." The angels are depicted as beautiful and mysterious creatures, with an otherworldly presence that enchants and beguiles the speaker.
The use of bird imagery is particularly striking here. Birds are often associated with freedom and transcendence, and the fact that the angels are depicted as birds suggests that the speaker sees them as a means of escape from her earthly existence. The image of the saw-toothed roof is also significant, as it suggests that the angels are perched above the speaker, in a place that she cannot reach.
The Pain of Transformation
As the poem progresses, the speaker's encounter with the angels becomes increasingly intense and transformative. She begins to feel the pain of this transformation, describing how "my hair grew midnight / and I was the dawn." The transformation is painful and disorienting, causing the speaker to question her own identity and sense of self.
This section of the poem is particularly powerful, as it captures the profound sense of dislocation and confusion that often accompanies spiritual transformation. The use of contrasting images (midnight and dawn) underscores the sense of duality that the speaker is experiencing, as she navigates between her old self and her new, transformed self.
The Price of Transcendence
The final stanzas of the poem describe the aftermath of the speaker's encounter with the angels. She is left with a sense of loss and disillusionment, as she realizes that the experience has come at a great cost. She describes how "my fingers wept in the ash / of the love that had flared and died" and how "the angels had flown away / and the night lay empty."
This final section of the poem is particularly poignant, as it captures the sense of sadness and emptiness that often accompanies the pursuit of transcendence. The fact that the angels have flown away underscores the sense that the speaker's experience was fleeting and transitory, and that she is left alone and isolated once again.
Interpretation of the Poem
"Consorting With Angels" is a powerful exploration of the human desire for transcendence, and the often painful process of spiritual transformation. Through vivid imagery, rich symbolism, and a deeply personal voice, Sexton creates a work of art that speaks to the universal human experience of longing and suffering.
The poem can be read as a critique of the notion of transcendence itself, suggesting that the pursuit of the divine often comes at a great cost. The fact that the angels have flown away suggests that the speaker's encounter with the divine was fleeting and transitory, and that the price of this encounter was the loss of something precious (the love that had "flared and died").
At the same time, the poem can also be read as a celebration of the human capacity for transformation and transcendence. The fact that the speaker is able to experience the divine, even for a brief moment, suggests that there is something deeply human about the desire to transcend our earthly existence and connect with something beyond ourselves.
Conclusion
"Consorting With Angels" is a beautiful and powerful poem that speaks to the universal human experience of longing and suffering. Through vivid imagery, rich symbolism, and a deeply personal voice, Sexton creates a work of art that captures the complexity and beauty of the human desire for transcendence. Whether read as a critique or a celebration of this desire, the poem remains a moving and poignant exploration of what it means to be human.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Consorting With Angels: A Poem of Redemption and Transformation
Anne Sexton's poem "Consorting With Angels" is a powerful exploration of the human experience of redemption and transformation. Through vivid imagery and evocative language, Sexton takes the reader on a journey of self-discovery and spiritual awakening, ultimately revealing the possibility of transcendence and connection with the divine.
The poem begins with a description of the speaker's state of mind: "I was tired of being a woman, / tired of the spoons and the pots, / tired of my mouth and my breasts, / tired of the cosmetics and the silks." This opening stanza sets the tone for the rest of the poem, as the speaker expresses a deep dissatisfaction with her life and her identity as a woman. She is tired of the mundane tasks of daily life, and feels trapped by the expectations placed upon her by society.
However, the poem quickly takes a turn towards the mystical, as the speaker describes a vision of angels descending from the sky: "Then I saw the angels. / They came on high, / they came with trumpets and cries, / they came bearing banners / that said, 'Victory'." This sudden appearance of angels is a powerful symbol of the speaker's desire for transcendence and transformation. The angels represent a higher power, a force beyond the mundane concerns of daily life, and their arrival signals the possibility of a new way of being.
The speaker is initially hesitant to approach the angels, feeling unworthy and unsure of how to interact with them: "I was afraid to look up / and see their faces / for fear of what I might see there." This fear is a common theme in spiritual literature, as the prospect of encountering a higher power can be overwhelming and intimidating. However, the speaker ultimately decides to approach the angels, and in doing so, begins a process of transformation and redemption.
The rest of the poem is a series of vivid images and metaphors that describe the speaker's journey towards transcendence. She describes herself as a "wild thing" that is "tamed by the angels," and compares her transformation to the process of metamorphosis: "I was a chrysalis, / I was a butterfly, / I was the air / that kissed the butterfly." These images suggest a profound change in the speaker's identity and sense of self. She is no longer trapped by the limitations of her previous life, but has been transformed into something new and beautiful.
The poem ends with a powerful image of the speaker ascending into the sky with the angels: "I rose up with them, / I rose up on the wings of the angels, / I rose up through the clouds / and into the light." This final image is a powerful symbol of the speaker's transcendence and connection with the divine. She has left behind the mundane concerns of daily life and has entered into a new realm of existence, one that is characterized by light and beauty.
Overall, "Consorting With Angels" is a powerful exploration of the human experience of redemption and transformation. Through vivid imagery and evocative language, Sexton takes the reader on a journey of self-discovery and spiritual awakening, ultimately revealing the possibility of transcendence and connection with the divine. The poem is a testament to the power of the human spirit to overcome the limitations of the mundane world and to reach towards something greater.
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