'Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty)' by Anne Sexton

AI and Tech Aggregator
Download Mp3s Free
Tears of the Kingdom Roleplay
Best Free University Courses Online
TOTK Roleplay


Consider
a girl who keeps slipping off,
arms limp as old carrots,
into the hypnotist's trance,
into a spirit world
speaking with the gift of tongues.
She is stuck in the time machine,
suddenly two years old sucking her thumb,
as inward as a snail,
learning to talk again.
She's on a voyage.
She is swimming further and further back,
up like a salmon,
struggling into her mother's pocketbook.
Little doll child,
come here to Papa.
Sit on my knee.
I have kisses for the back of your neck.
A penny for your thoughts, Princess.
I will hunt them like an emerald.

Come be my snooky
and I will give you a root.
That kind of voyage,
rank as a honeysuckle.
Once
a king had a christening
for his daughter Briar Rose
and because he had only twelve gold plates
he asked only twelve fairies
to the grand event.
The thirteenth fairy,
her fingers as long and thing as straws,
her eyes burnt by cigarettes,
her uterus an empty teacup,
arrived with an evil gift.
She made this prophecy:
The princess shall prick herself
on a spinning wheel in her fifteenth year
and then fall down dead.
Kaputt!
The court fell silent.
The king looked like Munch's Scream
Fairies' prophecies,
in times like those,
held water.
However the twelfth fairy
had a certain kind of eraser
and thus she mitigated the curse
changing that death
into a hundred-year sleep.

The king ordered every spinning wheel
exterminated and exorcised.
Briar Rose grew to be a goddess
and each night the king
bit the hem of her gown
to keep her safe.
He fastened the moon up
with a safety pin
to give her perpetual light
He forced every male in the court
to scour his tongue with Bab-o
lest they poison the air she dwelt in.
Thus she dwelt in his odor.
Rank as honeysuckle.

On her fifteenth birthday
she pricked her finger
on a charred spinning wheel
and the clocks stopped.
Yes indeed. She went to sleep.
The king and queen went to sleep,
the courtiers, the flies on the wall.
The fire in the hearth grew still
and the roast meat stopped crackling.
The trees turned into metal
and the dog became china.
They all lay in a trance,
each a catatonic
stuck in a time machine.
Even the frogs were zombies.
Only a bunch of briar roses grew
forming a great wall of tacks
around the castle.
Many princes
tried to get through the brambles
for they had heard much of Briar Rose
but they had not scoured their tongues
so they were held by the thorns
and thus were crucified.
In due time
a hundred years passed
and a prince got through.
The briars parted as if for Moses
and the prince found the tableau intact.
He kissed Briar Rose
and she woke up crying:
Daddy! Daddy!
Presto! She's out of prison!
She married the prince
and all went well
except for the fear --
the fear of sleep.

Briar Rose
was an insomniac...
She could not nap
or lie in sleep
without the court chemist
mixing her some knock-out drops
and never in the prince's presence.
If if is to come, she said,
sleep must take me unawares
while I am laughing or dancing
so that I do not know that brutal place
where I lie down with cattle prods,
the hole in my cheek open.
Further, I must not dream
for when I do I see the table set
and a faltering crone at my place,
her eyes burnt by cigarettes
as she eats betrayal like a slice of meat.

I must not sleep
for while I'm asleep I'm ninety
and think I'm dying.
Death rattles in my throat
like a marble.
I wear tubes like earrings.
I lie as still as a bar of iron.
You can stick a needle
through my kneecap and I won't flinch.
I'm all shot up with Novocain.
This trance girl
is yours to do with.
You could lay her in a grave,
an awful package,
and shovel dirt on her face
and she'd never call back: Hello there!
But if you kissed her on the mouth
her eyes would spring open
and she'd call out: Daddy! Daddy!
Presto!
She's out of prison.

There was a theft.
That much I am told.
I was abandoned.
That much I know.
I was forced backward.
I was forced forward.
I was passed hand to hand
like a bowl of fruit.
Each night I am nailed into place
and forget who I am.
Daddy?
That's another kind of prison.
It's not the prince at all,
but my father
drunkeningly bends over my bed,
circling the abyss like a shark,
my father thick upon me
like some sleeping jellyfish.
What voyage is this, little girl?
This coming out of prison?
God help --
this life after death?

Editor 1 Interpretation

Briar Rose by Anne Sexton: A Feminist Interpretation

As a fairy tale retold by Anne Sexton, "Briar Rose" is a poetical masterpiece that serves as a social commentary on the role of women in society. Sexton's reimagining of the classic story of "Sleeping Beauty" challenges the traditional gender roles and expectations imposed on women. In this literary criticism and interpretation, I will explore the feminist themes present in "Briar Rose" and examine how Sexton uses language, imagery, and symbolism to convey her message.

Historical Context

Before delving into the poem, it is essential to understand the historical context in which Sexton wrote it. In the 1960s, the feminist movement was gaining momentum as a response to the gender inequality and discrimination against women. Women were fighting for equal rights, opportunities, and recognition. Sexton was part of the feminist movement, and her writing often reflected her feminist values. "Briar Rose" was published in her collection of poems titled "Transformations" in 1971, at the height of the feminist movement. It was her way of using the fairy tale genre to critique the patriarchal society and its treatment of women.

Form and Structure

"Briar Rose" is a poem written in free verse, with no regular rhyme or meter. It consists of ten stanzas, each with varying line lengths, ranging from one to thirty-five lines. The irregularity of the form reflects the chaotic and fragmented nature of the story, as well as the theme of transformation. The poem begins with a description of the curse that the wicked fairy places on the princess, and it ends with the prince's kiss breaking the spell. Each stanza is a different episode in the story, with the speaker's voice shifting between the characters' perspectives. The structure of the poem mirrors the episodic narrative structure of a fairy tale.

Analysis

The Curse

The curse is the central event in "Briar Rose," and it sets in motion the story's events. The wicked fairy curses the princess to die when she pricks her finger on a spindle. The curse is a metaphor for the patriarchal society's control over women's bodies and sexuality. The spindle represents the phallus, a symbol of male power and domination. By cursing the princess with death, the wicked fairy is punishing her for her sexuality and her potential to challenge the patriarchal order. The curse is a reminder that women's bodies are not their own, and they must conform to societal expectations of chastity and obedience.

The Sleeping Beauty

The Sleeping Beauty is a symbol of the passive and powerless woman who awaits rescue by a man. In the traditional fairy tale, the princess is awakened by the prince's kiss, and they live happily ever after. Sexton subverts this trope by portraying the Sleeping Beauty as a victim of society's expectations of women. She is not merely asleep; she is in a death-like state, a metaphor for the oppression that women face. The prince's kiss is not a symbol of romantic love but a symbol of liberation from the patriarchal society. It represents the awakening of women to their potential and their agency.

The Prince

The prince is often portrayed as the hero who rescues the Sleeping Beauty from her curse. In "Briar Rose," the prince is a symbol of the feminist movement's ally, a man who recognizes and supports women's struggle for equality. He is not merely a romantic interest but a partner in the fight against patriarchy. The prince's kiss is not an act of chivalry but an act of solidarity. He is the one who breaks the curse and frees the Sleeping Beauty from her oppression.

The Feminist Message

Sexton's feminist message in "Briar Rose" is clear: women need to break free from the patriarchal society's control and claim their agency. The poem challenges the traditional gender roles and expectations imposed on women, encouraging them to reject passivity and embrace their power. The Sleeping Beauty's awakening is a metaphor for the feminist movement's awakening, urging women to fight for their rights and recognition. The prince's role as an ally emphasizes the importance of men supporting women's struggle for equality.

Conclusion

In conclusion, "Briar Rose" is a feminist retelling of the classic fairy tale, "Sleeping Beauty." Anne Sexton uses language, imagery, and symbolism to critique the patriarchal society's treatment of women and encourages them to claim their agency. The curse, the Sleeping Beauty, and the prince are symbols that represent the feminist message of the poem. Sexton's reimagining of the fairy tale genre highlights the importance of storytelling in challenging societal norms and inspiring change. "Briar Rose" is a timeless masterpiece that continues to inspire feminist discourse and advocacy.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty) by Anne Sexton is a classic poem that has been analyzed and interpreted by many literary scholars. The poem is a retelling of the famous fairy tale Sleeping Beauty, but with a darker and more mature twist. In this analysis, we will explore the themes, symbols, and literary devices used by Sexton to convey her message.

The poem begins with the line, "The prince leaned over the cradle." This line immediately sets the tone for the rest of the poem. The prince is a symbol of masculinity and power, while the cradle represents femininity and vulnerability. The prince's actions in the poem are a reflection of the patriarchy and the way it views women.

Sexton's retelling of the fairy tale is not a happy one. She portrays Sleeping Beauty as a victim of the patriarchy, rather than a passive character waiting for her prince to come. Sleeping Beauty is trapped in a world where she has no agency or control over her own life. She is a prisoner of her own beauty, and her fate is determined by the men around her.

The poem is divided into three parts, each representing a different stage in Sleeping Beauty's life. The first part is about her childhood, where she is innocent and carefree. The second part is about her adolescence, where she becomes aware of her beauty and the power it holds. The third part is about her adulthood, where she is trapped in a world where she has no agency or control.

In the first part of the poem, Sleeping Beauty is described as a "rosebud." This symbolizes her innocence and purity. She is unaware of the world around her and is protected by her parents. However, this protection is short-lived, as the patriarchy soon comes to claim her.

In the second part of the poem, Sleeping Beauty is described as a "rose." This symbolizes her beauty and the power it holds. She becomes aware of her beauty and the effect it has on men. She is no longer innocent and carefree, but instead, she is aware of the world around her and the dangers it holds.

The third part of the poem is the most powerful. Sleeping Beauty is now trapped in a world where she has no agency or control. She is a victim of the patriarchy and the way it views women. The prince is no longer a symbol of power and masculinity, but instead, he is a symbol of oppression and control. He has come to claim Sleeping Beauty, not out of love, but out of a sense of entitlement.

Sexton's use of symbolism is powerful in this poem. The rose is a recurring symbol throughout the poem, representing Sleeping Beauty's innocence, beauty, and power. The thorns on the rose represent the dangers that come with beauty and the way it can be used to control and oppress women.

The use of imagery is also powerful in this poem. Sexton's descriptions of Sleeping Beauty's beauty are vivid and sensual. She describes Sleeping Beauty's hair as "a river of gold," her skin as "white as snow," and her lips as "red as blood." These descriptions are meant to highlight the power of beauty and the effect it has on men.

Sexton's use of language is also noteworthy. She uses a mix of formal and informal language to convey her message. The formal language is used to describe Sleeping Beauty's beauty and the power it holds, while the informal language is used to describe the patriarchy and the way it views women.

In conclusion, Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty) by Anne Sexton is a powerful retelling of the famous fairy tale. Sexton's use of symbolism, imagery, and language is masterful in conveying her message. The poem is a commentary on the patriarchy and the way it views women. Sleeping Beauty is not a passive character waiting for her prince to come, but instead, she is a victim of the patriarchy and the way it uses beauty to control and oppress women. This poem is a must-read for anyone interested in feminist literature and the way it challenges traditional gender roles.

Editor Recommended Sites

Multi Cloud Business: Multicloud tutorials and learning for deploying terraform, kubernetes across cloud, and orchestrating
Cloud Runbook - Security and Disaster Planning & Production support planning: Always have a plan for when things go wrong in the cloud
Polars: Site dedicated to tutorials on the Polars rust framework, similar to python pandas
Quick Startup MVP: Make a startup MVP consulting services. Make your dream app come true in no time
Privacy Chat: Privacy focused chat application.

Recommended Similar Analysis

The Little Black Boy by William Blake analysis
O Solitude! If I Must With Thee Dwell by John Keats analysis
Starting From Paumanok by Walt Whitman analysis
Impression Du Matin by Oscar Wilde analysis
Passage To India by Walt Whitman analysis
Beautiful Women by Walt Whitman analysis
The Pulley by George Herbert analysis
Reconciliation by Walt Whitman analysis
The Force That Through The Green Fuse Drives The Flower by Dylan Thomas analysis
Water Lilies by Sarah Teasdale analysis