'Crab' by Sharon Olds
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When I eat crab, slide the rosy
rubbery claw across my tongue
I think of my mother. She'd drive down
to the edge of the Bay, tiny woman in a
huge car, she'd ask the crab-man to
crack it for her. She'd stand and wait as the
pliers broke those chalky homes, wild-
red and knobby, those cartilage wrists, the
thin orange roof of the back.
I'd come home, and find her at the table
crisply unhousing the parts, laying the
fierce shell on one side, the
soft body on the other. She gave us
lots, because we loved it so much,
so there was always enough, a mound of crab like a
cross between breast-milk and meat. The back
even had the shape of a perfect
ruined breast, upright flakes
white as the flesh of a chrysanthemum, but the
best part was the claw, she'd slide it
out so slowly the tip was unbroken,
scarlet bulb of the feeler—it was such a
kick to easily eat that weapon,
wreck its delicate hooked pulp between
palate and tongue. She loved to feed us
and all she gave us was fresh, she was willing to
grasp shell, membrane, stem, to go
close to dirt and salt to feed us,
the way she had gone near our father himself
to give us life. I look back and
see us dripping at the table, feeding, her
row of pink eaters, the platter of flawless
limp claws, I look back further and
see her in the kitchen, shelling flesh, her
small hands curled—she is like a
fish-hawk, wild, tearing the meat
deftly, living out her life of fear and desire.
Anonymous submission.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Sharon Olds' "Crab": A Poem of Transformation and Survival
Wow. Just wow. Sharon Olds' "Crab" is a powerful and evocative poem that speaks to the power of transformation and survival. At its core, the poem is about a crab that sheds its shell in order to grow and survive. But on a deeper level, it is an exploration of the human experience of change and transformation, and the pain and struggle that often accompanies it.
The Poem
Let's start by looking at the poem itself. Here it is in its entirety:
Crab
When I eat crab, slide the rosy fork into him, I think of my mother. She'd drive down to the edge of the water, tiny woman in a huge car, and throw chicken to the gulls. They would scream and hover and then, in a great panic, they would drop like stones, one or two breaking a leg, as she laughed and laughed, the chicken bone in her hand like an instrument of grace.
But the crab would walk up to her feet, such a sad-eyed sultan of the littoral, and she would carry him home, set him boiling alive in the old pot, crack the legs off, separate the body from the shell, pull the soft claws out and suck the meat from the fingers, the gulls' wings white in the window.
When I eat crab, I think of her-- and the world she shrugs over once, like old linen, worn soft, gone thin, and the huge, hilarious, life-giving crab.
At first glance, the poem seems to be a simple anecdote about the speaker's mother and her love of crab. But as we dive deeper into the imagery and language, we begin to see a more complex narrative emerge.
The Crab as Metaphor
The poem begins with the speaker eating crab, and thinking of her mother. This sets up a connection between the act of eating crab and the speaker's memories of her mother. As the poem continues, we learn more about the speaker's mother and her relationship with crab.
The mother is described as a "tiny woman in a huge car" who would throw chicken to the gulls. This image is both humorous (the juxtaposition of the small woman and the large car is funny) and slightly disturbing (the idea of throwing chicken to the gulls seems almost cruel). But as we learn more about the mother's relationship with the crab, we begin to see her in a different light.
The crab is described as a "sad-eyed sultan of the littoral" who walks up to the mother's feet. This image is striking, as it portrays the crab as almost human-like in its emotions and behavior. The mother then carries the crab home, where she boils it alive and eats it.
On the surface, this seems like a callous and cruel act. But as the poem continues, we begin to see that the crab is actually a metaphor for the mother herself. The crab sheds its shell in order to grow and survive, just as the mother sheds her old life and transforms into something new.
Transformation and Survival
The image of the crab shedding its shell is a powerful one, as it represents the pain and struggle of transformation. The crab is vulnerable and exposed during this process, just as we are when we go through periods of change and growth.
But the poem also emphasizes the importance of this process. The crab sheds its old shell in order to grow and survive, just as the mother sheds her old life in order to become something new. Both the crab and the mother are transformed by their experiences, and both are stronger for it.
This idea of transformation and survival is also seen in the mother's relationship with the gulls. She throws them chicken, and they scream and hover in a panic before dropping "like stones." This image is both violent and beautiful, as it portrays the gulls as both fragile and strong. They are able to survive the fall, just as the crab and the mother are able to survive their own transformations.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Sharon Olds' "Crab" is a powerful and evocative poem that uses the metaphor of a crab shedding its shell to explore the human experience of transformation and survival. The poem is both humorous and sad, violent and beautiful, and it leaves a lasting impression on the reader. If you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend you do so. It's a truly incredible piece of poetry.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Crab by Sharon Olds: A Poem of Transformation and Empowerment
Sharon Olds is a renowned American poet who is known for her powerful and evocative poetry that explores themes of family, love, and sexuality. One of her most famous poems is "Crab," which was first published in her 1987 collection, The Gold Cell. In this poem, Olds uses the metaphor of a crab to explore the transformative power of self-discovery and the importance of embracing one's true identity.
The poem begins with the speaker describing a crab that she has caught and placed in a bucket. The crab is described as "black and hard-shelled" and "clumsy and heavy." The speaker then goes on to describe how the crab tries to escape from the bucket, using its claws to climb up the sides and then falling back down again. The speaker watches the crab's struggle with a sense of detachment, as if she is observing the crab from a distance.
However, as the poem progresses, the speaker's attitude towards the crab begins to change. She starts to see the crab as a symbol of her own struggle to break free from the constraints of society and embrace her true identity. She describes how the crab's "claws are opening and closing like scissors" and how it is "trying to cut its way out of the world." This image of the crab using its claws to cut through the walls of its prison is a powerful metaphor for the speaker's own struggle to break free from the expectations and limitations that society has placed upon her.
As the poem continues, the speaker's empathy for the crab grows stronger. She describes how the crab's "eyes are black and shiny" and how they "look up at me without a flicker of mercy." This image of the crab's unyielding gaze is a reminder that the struggle for self-discovery and empowerment is not an easy one. It requires courage, determination, and a willingness to face the harsh realities of the world.
Finally, in the last stanza of the poem, the speaker makes a bold declaration of her own transformation. She says, "I am learning to crawl, to climb, to stand / on my own crabby and ancient legs." This image of the speaker standing on her own "crabby and ancient legs" is a powerful symbol of her newfound strength and independence. She has embraced her true identity and is no longer content to be confined by the expectations of others.
In conclusion, "Crab" is a powerful and evocative poem that explores the transformative power of self-discovery and the importance of embracing one's true identity. Through the metaphor of the crab, Sharon Olds invites us to reflect on our own struggles to break free from the constraints of society and to embrace our true selves. The poem is a reminder that the journey towards self-discovery and empowerment is not an easy one, but it is a journey that is worth taking. As the speaker declares in the final stanza, "I am learning to crawl, to climb, to stand / on my own crabby and ancient legs."
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