'The Fury Of God's Goodbye' by Anne Sexton
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One day He
tipped His top hat
and walked
out of the room,
ending the argument.
He stomped off
saying:
I don't give guarantees.
I was left
quite alone
using up the darkness
I rolled up
my sweater,
up in a ball,
and took it
to bed with me,
a kind of stand-in
for God,
that washerwoman
who walks out
when you're clean
but not ironed.
When I woke up
the sweater
had turned to
bricks of gold.
I'd won the world
but like a
forsaken explorer,
I'd lost
my map.
Submitted by RW
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Fury of God's Goodbye: A Literary Criticism and Interpretation
Introduction
Anne Sexton's poem, "The Fury of God's Goodbye," is a powerful and haunting piece of poetry that captures the essence of despair and the inevitability of death. Written during a time in Sexton's life when she was struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts, this poem reflects her deep sense of hopelessness and despair.
As a literary critic, it is my job to delve deeper into the themes and motifs of this poem and provide a comprehensive analysis of Sexton's work. In this article, I will provide a detailed interpretation of "The Fury of God's Goodbye" and explore the various literary devices used by Sexton to convey her message.
Summary of the Poem
"The Fury of God's Goodbye" is a 32-line poem that is divided into 4 stanzas. The poem begins with an imagery of a bird soaring through the sky before diving down to the ground. The bird is symbolic of the speaker's soul, which is about to leave her body. The poem then transitions into a series of questions that the speaker asks God.
The speaker's questions are tinged with anger and despair as she asks God why he has abandoned her. She wonders why God has left her alone to face the darkness and despair of the world. The poem ends with a sense of resignation as the speaker comes to terms with her own mortality and the inevitability of death.
Analysis of Literary Devices
Imagery
Imagery is an important literary device used by Sexton to convey the speaker's emotions and thoughts. Throughout the poem, Sexton uses powerful images to depict the despair and hopelessness that the speaker is feeling. For example, in the first stanza, Sexton uses the image of a bird to represent the speaker's soul. The bird's soaring and diving reflect the speaker's own sense of movement and change.
Metaphor
Metaphor is another important literary device used by Sexton. In the second stanza, the speaker asks God why he has "bolted the doors of heaven." This is a metaphor for the speaker's own sense of being locked out of God's grace and mercy. This metaphor is reinforced in the third stanza when the speaker asks God why he has "put a black spot on the sun," which is symbolic of the darkness and despair that the speaker feels.
Repetition
Repetition is yet another literary device used by Sexton to emphasize the speaker's emotions. Throughout the poem, the speaker asks God a series of questions that begin with the phrase "why did you." This repetition reinforces the speaker's sense of desperation and confusion.
Personification
Personification is used effectively in the fourth stanza, where the speaker describes death as a "messenger." This personification of death reinforces the inevitability of the speaker's own mortality and the finality of death.
Allusion
Finally, Sexton uses allusion to reinforce the theme of despair and hopelessness. In the final stanza, the speaker refers to "Hansel and Gretel's crumb trail," which is an allusion to the fairy tale where children are abandoned in the woods and forced to find their own way home. This allusion reinforces the speaker's sense of being lost and abandoned.
Themes
Despair and Hopelessness
The primary theme of "The Fury of God's Goodbye" is despair and hopelessness. Throughout the poem, the speaker expresses a sense of confusion and desperation as she grapples with the darkness and despair of the world. The repetition of the phrase "why did you" reinforces the speaker's sense of confusion, while the image of the bird diving down to the ground emphasizes the finality of death.
Abandonment
Another important theme of the poem is abandonment. The speaker feels abandoned by God, who has locked the doors of heaven and put a black spot on the sun. This sense of abandonment reinforces the speaker's sense of being lost and alone in the world.
Mortality
Finally, the poem explores the theme of mortality. The allusion to Hansel and Gretel's crumb trail reinforces the speaker's sense of being lost and alone in the world, while the personification of death as a messenger reinforces the inevitability of the speaker's own mortality.
Conclusion
In conclusion, "The Fury of God's Goodbye" is a powerful and haunting poem that explores the themes of despair, abandonment, and mortality. Through the use of imagery, metaphor, repetition, personification, and allusion, Sexton is able to convey the speaker's emotions and thoughts with great power and clarity. As a literary critic, I highly recommend this poem to anyone who is interested in exploring the depths of human despair and the inevitability of death.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Fury of God's Goodbye: An Analysis of Anne Sexton's Classic Poem
Anne Sexton is a poet who is known for her confessional style of writing. Her poems often deal with themes of mental illness, death, and the struggles of being a woman in a patriarchal society. One of her most famous poems, "The Fury of God's Goodbye," is a powerful and haunting piece that explores the idea of abandonment by a higher power.
The poem begins with the speaker addressing God directly, asking why he has left her alone. She describes the feeling of being abandoned as a physical sensation, saying that "the air thins out / as if etherizing" and that she is left "gasping for breath." This imagery creates a sense of suffocation and desperation, emphasizing the speaker's feelings of helplessness and despair.
As the poem continues, the speaker becomes increasingly angry and resentful towards God. She accuses him of being a "liar" and a "thief," saying that he has taken everything from her and left her with nothing. This anger is expressed through violent and vivid imagery, such as when the speaker says that "the stars are knives / that stab me in the eyes." This metaphorical language creates a sense of pain and brutality, emphasizing the intensity of the speaker's emotions.
Despite her anger, the speaker also expresses a sense of longing for God's presence. She says that she wants to "crawl back into [his] lap" and be comforted, but that she knows this is impossible. This sense of longing is juxtaposed with the speaker's anger, creating a complex and nuanced portrayal of her emotional state.
One of the most striking aspects of the poem is its use of religious imagery. The speaker references biblical stories and characters, such as Job and Mary Magdalene, as a way of contextualizing her own struggles. This use of religious imagery creates a sense of universality, suggesting that the speaker's experiences are not unique but rather part of a larger human experience.
At the same time, the poem also challenges traditional religious narratives. The speaker questions the idea of a benevolent God who watches over his creations, suggesting that this is a comforting myth rather than a reality. She also challenges the idea of redemption, saying that "there is no resurrection / that will make this right." This rejection of traditional religious narratives is a hallmark of Sexton's work, which often subverts and challenges societal norms.
Overall, "The Fury of God's Goodbye" is a powerful and complex poem that explores the idea of abandonment by a higher power. Through its use of vivid imagery, religious references, and emotional intensity, the poem creates a sense of desperation and anger that is both personal and universal. It is a testament to Sexton's skill as a poet and her ability to capture the complexities of the human experience.
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