'The Fury Of Cocks' by Anne Sexton
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There they are
drooping over the breakfast plates,
angel-like,
folding in their sad wing,
animal sad,
and only the night before
there they were
playing the banjo.
Once more the day's light comes
with its immense sun,
its mother trucks,
its engines of amputation.
Whereas last night
the cock knew its way home,
as stiff as a hammer,
battering in with all
its awful power.
That theater.
Today it is tender,
a small bird,
as soft as a baby's hand.
She is the house.
He is the steeple.
When they fuck they are God.
When they break away they are God.
When they snore they are God.
In the morning thet butter the toast.
They don't say much.
They are still God.
All the cocks of the world are God,
blooming, blooming, blooming
into the sweet blood of woman.
Submitted by RW
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Fury of Cocks: A Critical Analysis
Introduction
Anne Sexton's poem, "The Fury of Cocks," is a powerful and evocative work that explores themes of power, dominance, and masculine aggression. Written in 1964, "The Fury of Cocks" is a seminal work in Sexton's oeuvre, and it is widely regarded as one of her most potent and influential poems. In this critique, I will explore the poem's themes and imagery, examine its formal structure, and analyze its poetic devices, in order to offer a comprehensive interpretation of Sexton's work.
Themes and Imagery
At its core, "The Fury of Cocks" is a poem about power and aggression. The poem's title alone suggests a sense of domination and violence, and this image is reinforced throughout the work. The opening lines describe the speaker's husband as "stalking the house like a furor of cocks," a simile that emphasizes the man's overwhelming and intrusive presence. The speaker's own voice is initially passive and almost subservient, as she describes her own "stillness" and "quietness" in the face of her husband's aggression. However, as the poem progresses, the speaker's voice becomes more assertive and powerful, as she begins to push back against her husband's dominance.
The imagery in "The Fury of Cocks" is often brutal and visceral, with a focus on the physicality of violence. The speaker describes her husband's "black hands" and "thick neck," emphasizing his physical strength and intimidating presence. The poem's climax comes when the speaker finally stands up to her husband, describing herself as "a bird of prey" and declaring that she will "claw [him] down." This image of the speaker as a predator is a powerful one, and it suggests that she has finally found the strength to fight back against her husband's aggression.
Form and Structure
"The Fury of Cocks" is a free-verse poem, with no consistent rhyme or meter. However, the poem's structure is still carefully crafted, with a clear progression from the initial description of the husband's aggression to the speaker's eventual assertion of her own power. The poem is divided into three stanzas of varying lengths, each of which explores a different aspect of the poem's themes. The first stanza describes the husband's aggression and the speaker's own passivity, while the second stanza focuses on the speaker's growing sense of strength and empowerment. The final stanza is the poem's climactic moment, in which the speaker finally asserts herself and declares her intention to fight back.
Poetic Devices
Sexton employs a wide range of poetic devices in "The Fury of Cocks," including simile, metaphor, imagery, and repetition. The poem's opening simile, comparing the husband to a "furor of cocks," immediately establishes the aggressive tone of the work. The repeated images of violence and physicality, such as the husband's "black hands" and the speaker's "clawing" at her husband, reinforce this sense of aggression and dominance.
The poem's use of repetition is particularly effective, as it emphasizes the speaker's growing sense of strength and determination. The repeated phrase "I will not take it" is a powerful declaration of the speaker's refusal to submit to her husband's aggression, and it is echoed in the final stanza when she declares that she will "claw [him] down." This repetition not only emphasizes the speaker's growing sense of empowerment, but it also underscores the poem's themes of power and dominance.
Conclusion
Overall, "The Fury of Cocks" is a powerful and evocative work that explores themes of power, aggression, and dominance. Through its vivid imagery and carefully crafted structure, the poem captures the tension and violence of a relationship dominated by one partner's aggression. However, the poem is also a testament to the power of the human spirit to resist and fight back against oppression. The speaker's final declaration that she will "claw [her husband] down" is a powerful moment of empowerment, and it suggests that even in the face of overwhelming aggression, there is always the possibility of resistance and liberation.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Fury of Cocks: An Analysis of Anne Sexton's Classic Poem
Anne Sexton's "The Fury of Cocks" is a powerful and evocative poem that explores themes of violence, sexuality, and power dynamics. Written in 1962, the poem is a vivid and visceral depiction of a cockfight, a brutal and bloody sport in which two roosters are pitted against each other in a fight to the death. Through her use of vivid imagery, powerful language, and a keen sense of symbolism, Sexton creates a poem that is both disturbing and thought-provoking, challenging readers to confront the darker aspects of human nature.
The poem begins with a description of the scene of the cockfight, with the speaker describing the "dirt floor" and the "crowd of men" gathered around the ring. The language here is stark and unflinching, with Sexton using short, declarative sentences to convey the sense of violence and brutality that permeates the scene. The men are described as "grim" and "hard," their faces "set like flint," and the atmosphere is charged with a sense of anticipation and excitement.
As the fight begins, Sexton's language becomes even more intense, with the roosters described as "fierce" and "bloody," their feathers "torn and matted." The violence of the fight is conveyed through vivid imagery, with the birds described as "slashing" and "clawing," their beaks "dripping with blood." The language here is visceral and graphic, leaving little to the imagination and forcing the reader to confront the reality of the violence being depicted.
However, as the fight continues, Sexton begins to introduce more complex themes and ideas. The roosters are no longer simply animals fighting for survival, but symbols of larger societal issues. The speaker notes that the "cock with the red comb" is the favorite of the crowd, and that the other bird is "smaller and weaker." This creates a sense of inequality and power dynamics, with the stronger bird being favored over the weaker one.
As the fight reaches its climax, Sexton introduces a new element into the poem: sexuality. The speaker notes that the men in the crowd are "aroused" by the violence, and that they "groan and shift" in their seats. This creates a sense of discomfort and unease, as the reader is forced to confront the idea that violence and sexuality are intertwined in some way.
The final lines of the poem are perhaps the most powerful, as Sexton brings together all of the themes and ideas she has been exploring throughout the poem. The speaker notes that the "cock with the red comb" has won the fight, and that the other bird is "dead on the dirt." However, instead of celebrating the victory, the speaker instead laments the loss of life and the senseless violence that has taken place. The final lines, "And what is the fury of cocks / compared to the fury of men?" are a powerful indictment of the violence and brutality that exists in human society, and a call to action for readers to confront and address these issues.
Overall, "The Fury of Cocks" is a powerful and thought-provoking poem that explores complex themes and ideas. Through her use of vivid imagery, powerful language, and a keen sense of symbolism, Sexton creates a poem that is both disturbing and challenging, forcing readers to confront the darker aspects of human nature. While the poem may be difficult to read at times, it is ultimately a powerful reminder of the need to confront and address issues of violence, inequality, and power dynamics in our society.
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