'Man And Wife' by Robert Lowell
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Tamed by Miltown, we lie on Mother's bed;
the rising sun in war paint dyes us red;
in broad daylight her gilded bed-posts shine,
abandoned, almost Dionysian.
At last the trees are green on Marlborough Street,
blossoms on our magnolia ignite
the morning with their murderous five days' white.
All night I've held your hand,
as if you had
a fourth time faced the kingdom of the mad--
its hackneyed speech, its homicidal eye--
and dragged me home alive. . . .Oh my Petite,
clearest of all God's creatures, still all air and nerve:
you were in our twenties, and I,
once hand on glass
and heart in mouth,
outdrank the Rahvs in the heat
of Greenwich Village, fainting at your feet--
too boiled and shy
and poker-faced to make a pass,
while the shrill verve
of your invective scorched the traditional South.
Now twelve years later, you turn your back.
Sleepless, you hold
your pillow to your hollows like a child;
your old-fashioned tirade--
loving, rapid, merciless--
breaks like the Atlantic Ocean on my head.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Man And Wife: A Deconstruction of Power Dynamics
by [Your Name]
Robert Lowell's poem, "Man and Wife," is a powerful exploration of the power dynamics within a marriage. In this 62-line poem, Lowell presents a raw and honest portrayal of the struggles between two individuals who try to navigate their life together. Through his use of vivid imagery and poetic language, Lowell is able to capture the complexities of love, loss, and power within a marriage.
Background
Before delving deep into the poem, it is important to understand the background and context of the author. Robert Lowell was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1917, and was a prominent figure in the literary world for many years. He was known for his confessional style of writing, which often dealt with personal and emotional themes. Lowell was also a key figure in the movement known as "The Confessional Poets," which included writers such as Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton.
Lowell's poetry often explored the themes of love, loss, and power. His personal life was also riddled with struggles, including multiple marriages, mental illness, and alcoholism. This personal background is important to keep in mind when analyzing "Man and Wife," as it reflects the themes and struggles that Lowell himself faced in his own life.
Analysis
The poem begins with the speaker, who is likely Lowell himself, describing the scene of a marriage falling apart. The first line, "Tamed by Miltown, we lie on Mother's bed;" sets the scene for the rest of the poem. "Miltown" was a popular drug used in the 1950s to treat anxiety and depression, which suggests that the couple are struggling with mental health issues. The use of "Mother's bed" also implies a sense of regression, as if the two individuals are seeking comfort and safety in a place that reminds them of their childhood.
As the poem progresses, the speaker describes the power dynamics within the relationship. He states, "The night explodes / with yapping dogs and scare-shot gun." This line is significant, as it implies that there is a sense of danger and tension in their relationship. The "yapping dogs" and "scare-shot gun" suggest that there is a level of aggression and violence present.
The next line, "Keep still, be still or I will kill you" is one of the most powerful in the poem. Here, the speaker is acknowledging the power dynamic in the relationship, as one person has the ability to harm or even kill the other. This line is also significant because it highlights the gendered nature of power dynamics in relationships. It is often men who hold the power in relationships, and this line reflects that reality.
The following stanza continues to explore the power dynamics between the two individuals. The speaker describes himself as "the big strip tease." Here, he is acknowledging that he is using his power and sexuality to manipulate the other person in the relationship. This could be seen as a commentary on the way that men often use their sexuality to control women in relationships.
The poem then takes a turn, as the speaker describes a dream that he has. In the dream, he is "in bed / with a dear friend." This dream is significant because it suggests that the speaker is grappling with his own sexuality and desires. It also represents a way for the speaker to escape from the realities of his own marriage.
The final stanza of the poem is perhaps the most powerful. The speaker acknowledges that he is "sick of the either/or" and is tired of the power dynamics within the relationship. He then states, "One Art, weeping at the opposite wall, / gives fuel to this furled / and hurting sail." This line is a reference to another one of Lowell's poems, "One Art," which explores the theme of loss. The reference to "One Art" in "Man and Wife" suggests that the speaker is trying to come to terms with the loss of his marriage.
Interpretation
Overall, "Man and Wife" can be interpreted as a commentary on power dynamics within relationships. The poem acknowledges the gendered nature of power dynamics, as well as the way that sexuality can be used to manipulate and control others. The dream sequence in the middle of the poem represents a way for the speaker to escape from the realities of his own marriage, while the final stanza suggests that the speaker is trying to come to terms with the loss of the relationship.
The poem is also significant because of its personal nature. Lowell's own struggles with mental illness, alcoholism, and multiple marriages all inform the themes and content of the poem. Through his use of vivid imagery and poetic language, Lowell is able to capture the complexities of love, loss, and power within a marriage.
Conclusion
In conclusion, "Man and Wife" is a powerful poem that explores the power dynamics within a marriage. Through his use of vivid imagery and poetic language, Lowell is able to capture the complexities of love, loss, and power within a relationship. The poem acknowledges the gendered nature of power dynamics, as well as the way that sexuality can be used to manipulate and control others. Overall, the poem is a testament to Lowell's skill as a poet and his ability to capture the human experience in all its complexities.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Man And Wife: A Poem of Love and Conflict
Robert Lowell’s poem “Man and Wife” is a powerful exploration of the complexities of love and marriage. Written in 1959, the poem is a deeply personal reflection on the poet’s own troubled marriage, and it offers a raw and honest portrayal of the struggles that can arise between two people who are bound together by love and commitment.
At its core, “Man and Wife” is a poem about the tension between intimacy and independence. The speaker of the poem is torn between his desire for closeness with his wife and his need for autonomy and self-expression. He longs to be “one flesh” with his partner, but he also feels suffocated by the demands of the relationship. This tension is captured beautifully in the opening lines of the poem:
Tamed by Miltown, we lie on Mother's bed; the rising sun in war paint dyes us red; in broad daylight her gilded bed-posts shine, abandoned, almost Dionysian.
Here, the speaker and his wife are lying on his mother’s bed, a symbol of the past and the weight of tradition. They are “tamed” by Miltown, a tranquilizer that was commonly prescribed in the 1950s for anxiety and nervous disorders. The drug represents the forces that are keeping the couple together, but it also suggests a loss of agency and control. The bed itself is “gilded” and “Dionysian,” suggesting a sense of luxury and excess, but also a hint of danger and recklessness.
Throughout the poem, Lowell uses vivid imagery and metaphor to explore the complexities of the relationship. He describes the couple as “two stitched shadows” and “two shades of blue,” suggesting a sense of unity and harmony, but also a sense of confinement and limitation. He also uses animal imagery to convey the intensity of their emotions, describing the couple as “two blood-orange butterflies” and “two eagles wheeling in the sun.”
One of the most striking aspects of the poem is its use of repetition and variation. Lowell repeats certain phrases and images throughout the poem, but he also changes them slightly each time, creating a sense of movement and evolution. For example, he repeats the phrase “one flesh” several times, but each time he adds a new layer of meaning. At first, the phrase suggests a sense of physical intimacy, but later it takes on a more spiritual and emotional significance.
Another key theme of the poem is the idea of sacrifice and compromise. The speaker acknowledges that love requires a willingness to give up something of oneself in order to be with another person. He describes himself and his wife as “two people, two shadows” who have “given up their pride and power” in order to be together. This sacrifice is both noble and painful, and it creates a sense of tension and conflict within the relationship.
At the same time, the poem also suggests that there are limits to what one can sacrifice for love. The speaker describes himself as a “caged bird” who longs to be free, and he suggests that his wife is similarly constrained. He acknowledges that their love is “a cage” that they have willingly entered, but he also suggests that it is a cage that they may one day need to escape.
Ultimately, “Man and Wife” is a poem about the complexities of human relationships. It captures the joys and sorrows of love, the beauty and the pain, the intimacy and the distance. It is a poem that speaks to the heart of what it means to be human, and it offers a powerful reminder of the power and the fragility of our connections to one another.
In conclusion, Robert Lowell’s “Man and Wife” is a masterpiece of modern poetry. It is a deeply personal and honest exploration of the complexities of love and marriage, and it offers a powerful reminder of the beauty and the pain of human relationships. Through its vivid imagery, its use of repetition and variation, and its exploration of themes of sacrifice and compromise, the poem captures the essence of what it means to be in love. It is a poem that speaks to the heart of what it means to be human, and it is a testament to the enduring power of poetry to capture the complexities of the human experience.
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