'Lullaby' by Anne Sexton

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It is a summer evening.
The yellow moths sag
against the locked screens
and the faded curtains
suck over the window sills
and from another building
a goat calls in his dreams.
This is the TV parlor
in the best ward at Bedlam.
The night nurse is passing
out the evening pills.
She walks on two erasers,
padding by us one by one.
MY sleeping pill is white.
It is a splendid pearl;
it floats me out of myself,
my stung skin as alien
as a loose bolt of cloth.
I will ignore the bed.
I am linen on a shelf.
Let the others moan in secret;
let each lost butterfly
go home. Old woolen head,
take me like a yellow moth
while the goat calls hush-
a-bye.

Submitted by Emily

Editor 1 Interpretation

The Haunting Lullaby by Anne Sexton

As I read Anne Sexton's Lullaby, I couldn't help but feel a chill run down my spine. This poem is a perfect example of how a single piece of literature can evoke powerful emotions in its readers. In this literary criticism and interpretation, I will discuss the structure, themes, symbolism, and literary devices used in the poem to highlight the haunting beauty of Sexton's work.

Structure of the Poem

Lullaby is a free verse poem that consists of sixteen stanzas, each containing four lines. The poem has a consistent rhyme scheme of ABCB, which contributes to its musical quality. The use of enjambment, or the continuation of a sentence or phrase across lines, adds to the fluidity of the poem. The poem's structure is simple yet effective, as it allows the reader to focus on the poem's themes and imagery.

Themes of the Poem

The poem deals with the themes of loneliness, despair, and death. The speaker of the poem is a suicidal mother who is holding her baby and singing a lullaby to him. The lullaby is an attempt to soothe the baby to sleep while the mother contemplates taking her own life. The poem's dark themes are evident from the opening lines, where the mother asks her baby to "sleep, little baby, sleep." The word "sleep" is repeated throughout the poem, reminding the reader of the mother's ultimate intention.

Symbolism in the Poem

The most striking symbol in the poem is the mother's embrace of her baby. The baby represents innocence, hope, and the future. The mother's love for her child is evident in the way she holds him close, singing to him in the face of her own despair. The baby's innocence and vulnerability contrast sharply with the mother's thoughts of suicide. The mother's embrace of her baby can also be seen as a symbol of her desire for comfort and safety in the face of her own pain.

Another important symbol in the poem is the moon. The moon is a recurring image in Sexton's poetry, and in Lullaby, it represents death. The moon is described as "a silver cradle," which is both an image of comfort and a reminder of mortality. The moon's presence in the poem adds to its haunting quality, as it seems to watch over the mother and child, waiting for the inevitable.

Literary Devices Used in the Poem

Sexton uses a variety of literary devices to enhance the poem's themes and imagery. One of the most effective devices is repetition. The word "sleep" is repeated throughout the poem, emphasizing the mother's intentions and creating a sense of inevitability. The repetition of the phrase "hush-a-bye" also adds to the poem's musical quality, while reminding the reader of the mother's desperation.

Another important literary device used in the poem is imagery. The poem is full of vivid images that contribute to its haunting beauty. The moon is described as a "silver cradle," the baby's breathing is compared to "a small black drum," and the mother's thoughts are described as "a sad music." These images create a sense of atmosphere and help to convey the poem's themes.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Anne Sexton's Lullaby is a haunting and powerful poem that deals with themes of loneliness, despair, and death. The poem's structure, themes, symbolism, and literary devices work together to create a sense of atmosphere and emotion that lingers with the reader long after the poem has ended. Lullaby is a perfect example of Sexton's skill as a poet and her ability to capture the complexities of the human experience in her work.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Lullaby by Anne Sexton: A Haunting and Powerful Poem

Anne Sexton was a poet who was known for her confessional style of writing. Her poems often dealt with themes of mental illness, suicide, and the struggles of being a woman in a patriarchal society. One of her most haunting and powerful poems is Lullaby, which was published in her 1966 collection, Live or Die. In this article, we will analyze and explain the poem in detail, exploring its themes, imagery, and symbolism.

The poem begins with the speaker addressing her child, telling them that they are loved and that they will be protected from harm. The tone is soothing and gentle, as befits a lullaby. However, as the poem progresses, the tone becomes increasingly dark and disturbing. The speaker begins to describe the horrors of the world that the child will have to face, including war, poverty, and violence. She tells the child that they will have to learn to live with these things, and that they will never be able to escape them.

The first stanza of the poem sets the scene and establishes the tone. The speaker addresses the child directly, using the second person pronoun "you". She tells the child that they are loved and that they will be protected from harm. The repetition of the phrase "you are" emphasizes the speaker's love and concern for the child. The use of the word "nestled" creates an image of warmth and comfort, as if the child is being held close and protected.

In the second stanza, the tone begins to shift. The speaker tells the child that they will have to learn to live with the horrors of the world. She uses the metaphor of a "black sail" to represent the darkness and danger that the child will face. The image of the sail billowing in the wind creates a sense of foreboding and unease. The use of the word "billow" suggests that the danger is looming and unstoppable.

The third stanza is perhaps the most disturbing in the poem. The speaker describes the violence and brutality that the child will encounter, using graphic and visceral imagery. The phrase "the bullet's hunger" creates an image of a weapon that is alive and hungry for blood. The use of the word "suck" to describe the bullet's impact on the body is particularly gruesome. The phrase "the child's cry melts in the wall" is a powerful image that suggests the child's voice is silenced and ignored.

In the fourth stanza, the speaker returns to a more soothing tone, telling the child that they will be able to find comfort in their dreams. However, even here there is a sense of unease, as the speaker describes the dreams as "strange" and "wild". The use of the word "fierce" to describe the dreams suggests that they may be frightening or disturbing.

The final stanza of the poem is perhaps the most enigmatic. The speaker tells the child that they will never be able to escape the horrors of the world, but that they will be able to find a kind of peace in accepting them. The phrase "you will walk into the arms of the thief" is a powerful image that suggests that the child will have to confront the darkness and danger head-on. The use of the word "thief" suggests that the danger is not just external, but also internal, perhaps representing the child's own fears and anxieties.

Overall, Lullaby is a haunting and powerful poem that explores the themes of love, protection, and the horrors of the world. The use of vivid and visceral imagery creates a sense of unease and foreboding, while the soothing tone of the lullaby creates a sense of comfort and safety. The poem is a powerful reminder of the fragility of life and the need to confront the darkness and danger that we all face.

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