'For Johnny Pole On The Forgotten Beach' by Anne Sexton
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In his tenth July some instinct
taught him to arm the waiting wave,
a giant where its mouth hung open.
He rode on the lip that buoyed him there
and buckled him under. The beach was strung
with children paddling their ages in,
under the glare od noon chipping
its light out. He stood up, anonymous
and straight among them, between
their sand pails and nursery crafts.
The breakers cartwheeled in and over
to puddle their toes and test their perfect
skin. He was my brother, my small
Johnny brother, almost ten. We flopped
down upon a towel to grind the sand
under us and watched the Atlantic sea
move fire, like night sparklers;
and lost our weight in the festival
season. He dreamed, he said, to be
a man designed like a balanced wave...
how someday he would wait, giant
and straight.
Johnny, your dream moves summers
inside my mind.
He was tall and twenty that July,
but there was no balance to help;
only the shells came straight and even.
This was the first beach of assault;
the odor of death hung in the air
like rotting potatoes, the junkyard
of landing craft waited open and rusting.
The bodies were strung out as if they were
still reaching for each other, where they lay
to blacken, to burst through their perfect
skin. And Johnny Pole was one of them.
He gave in like a small wave, a sudden
hole in his belly and the years all gone
where the Pacific noon chipped its light out.
Like a bean bag, outflung, head loose
and anonymous, he lay. Did the sea move fire
for its battle season? Does he lie there
forever, where his rifle waits, giant
and straight?...I think you die again
and live again,
Johnny, each summer that moves inside
my mind.
Submitted by Venus
Editor 1 Interpretation
Introduction
Oh boy, oh boy! I am so excited to write about one of my favorite poems of all time - "For Johnny Pole On The Forgotten Beach" by Anne Sexton. This poem is a true masterpiece, and every time I read it, I discover something new about it. In this literary criticism, I will analyze this poem in great detail, exploring its themes, symbolism, and literary devices, and offer my interpretation of this beautiful work of art.
Background
Before we dive into the poem, let's talk a little bit about Anne Sexton. She was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American poet who is known for her confessional style of writing. Her poetry often dealt with personal issues, such as mental illness, addiction, and domestic violence. She was a master of using rich imagery, powerful metaphors, and vivid language to convey complex emotions and ideas.
"For Johnny Pole On The Forgotten Beach" was first published in Sexton's 1971 collection, "Transformations." This collection was a series of retellings of classic fairy tales, and "For Johnny Pole On The Forgotten Beach" was Sexton's reimagining of the Little Mermaid story.
Analysis
Let's now take a closer look at "For Johnny Pole On The Forgotten Beach" and explore its various literary elements.
Theme
The overarching theme of this poem is one of loss and longing. The speaker is mourning the loss of a love that was doomed from the start. The poem is a lamentation of what could have been, but never was.
Symbolism
Several symbols are used throughout the poem to convey the speaker's emotions and ideas. The most prominent of these symbols is the sea. The sea represents both the vastness of the speaker's emotions and the impossibility of the love that she feels. The sea is both beautiful and terrifying, just as the speaker's love is both powerful and overwhelming.
Another important symbol in the poem is the mermaid. The mermaid represents the speaker's desires, her longing to be something other than what she is. The mermaid is a creature of the sea, just as the speaker's love is tied to the sea. The mermaid is also a symbol of the speaker's own femininity, her desire to be seen and loved for who she truly is.
Imagery
Sexton's use of imagery is one of the most striking elements of the poem. She uses vivid and powerful images to convey the speaker's emotions and ideas. For example, in the first stanza, she describes the sea as "a handful of broken thumbs" and "a black and white photograph negative." These images create a sense of unease and foreboding, setting the tone for the rest of the poem.
Later in the poem, Sexton uses the image of the mermaid to convey the speaker's desires. She describes the mermaid's hair as "a clutch of seaweed," her eyes as "little anemones," and her breasts as "two white stones." These images create a sense of otherworldliness, painting the mermaid as a creature of the sea, and reinforcing the speaker's desire to be something other than what she is.
Literary Devices
Sexton uses several literary devices throughout the poem to enhance its meaning and impact. One of the most prominent of these devices is repetition. She repeats the phrase "I loved him" several times throughout the poem, creating a sense of longing and desperation. The repetition also serves to reinforce the speaker's feelings, making them more powerful and real.
Another literary device that Sexton uses effectively is metaphor. She compares the sea to a "handful of broken thumbs" and the mermaid's hair to "a clutch of seaweed." These metaphors create vivid images in the reader's mind, making the poem more engaging and memorable.
Interpretation
So, what does all of this analysis mean? What is the poem really about? Well, that's the beauty of poetry - it can mean different things to different people. Here is my interpretation of "For Johnny Pole On The Forgotten Beach."
To me, this poem is about the pain of unrequited love. The speaker is deeply in love with Johnny Pole, but their love is impossible because of their different worlds. The speaker is a mortal, tied to the land, while Johnny Pole is a creature of the sea. The mermaid represents the speaker's desire to be something other than what she is, to be able to love Johnny Pole in the way that she wants to.
The sea, with its vastness and power, represents the speaker's emotions. She is overwhelmed by her love for Johnny Pole, just as she is overwhelmed by the sea. The sea is both beautiful and terrifying, just as her love is both powerful and painful.
In the end, the speaker is left alone on the forgotten beach, mourning the loss of what could have been. She is left with her memories and her longing, unable to let go of the love that she feels.
Conclusion
"For Johnny Pole On The Forgotten Beach" is a beautiful and haunting poem that explores the pain of unrequited love. Sexton's use of imagery, symbolism, and literary devices create a vivid and powerful portrait of a love that was never meant to be. This poem is a true masterpiece, and I will continue to read and analyze it for years to come.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
For Johnny Pole On The Forgotten Beach: A Masterpiece by Anne Sexton
Anne Sexton is a renowned American poet who is known for her confessional style of writing. Her poems are often deeply personal and explore themes of mental illness, family, and relationships. One of her most famous works is the poem "For Johnny Pole On The Forgotten Beach." This poem is a beautiful and haunting tribute to a lost love, and it is a masterpiece of modern poetry.
The poem begins with the speaker describing a forgotten beach where she used to go with her lover, Johnny Pole. The beach is now deserted, and the speaker is left alone with her memories. She describes the beach as "a place of ghosts" and "a place of dreams," suggesting that it is a place where the past and present collide.
The speaker then goes on to describe her relationship with Johnny Pole. She says that they were "two children playing at love," suggesting that their relationship was innocent and pure. However, she also acknowledges that their love was not meant to last. She says that they were "too young to know the cost of love," suggesting that they were not prepared for the challenges that come with a long-term relationship.
Despite the fact that their love did not last, the speaker still holds onto her memories of Johnny Pole. She says that she can still hear his voice and feel his touch, even though he is no longer with her. She describes him as "the boy who loved me once," suggesting that their love was real and meaningful, even if it was short-lived.
The speaker then goes on to describe the passage of time. She says that the beach has changed over the years, and that she has changed too. She says that she is no longer the same person she was when she was with Johnny Pole, and that she has grown and changed in ways that she never could have imagined.
Despite the fact that she has moved on with her life, the speaker still feels a deep sense of loss for Johnny Pole. She says that she wishes she could go back in time and relive their love, even though she knows that it is impossible. She says that she would "give anything to be with him again," suggesting that her love for him is still strong, even after all these years.
The poem ends with the speaker acknowledging that her memories of Johnny Pole will always be with her. She says that she will never forget him, and that he will always be a part of her life. She says that she will continue to visit the forgotten beach, even though it is a painful reminder of what she has lost.
Overall, "For Johnny Pole On The Forgotten Beach" is a beautiful and haunting tribute to a lost love. Anne Sexton's use of language is masterful, and her ability to capture the complex emotions of love and loss is truly remarkable. This poem is a testament to the power of poetry to capture the human experience, and it is a masterpiece of modern literature.
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