'The Fury Of Beautiful Bones' by Anne Sexton
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Sing me a thrush, bone.
Sing me a nest of cup and pestle.
Sing me a sweetbread fr an old grandfather.
Sing me a foot and a doorknob, for you are my love.
Oh sing, bone bag man, sing.
Your head is what I remember that Augusty
you were in love with another woman but
taht didn't matter. I was the gury of your
bones, your fingers long and nubby, your
forehead a beacon, bare as marble and I worried
you like an odor because you had not quite forgotten,
bone bag man, garlic in the North End,
the book you dedicated, naked as a fish,
naked as someone drowning into his own mouth.
I wonder, Mr. Bone man, what you're thinking
of your fury now, gone sour as a sinking whale,
crawling up the alphabet on her own bones.
Am I in your ear still singing songs in the rain,
me of the death rattle, me of the magnolias,
me of the sawdust tavern at the city's edge.
Women have lovely bones, arms, neck, thigh
and I admire them also, but your bones
supersede loveliness. They are the tough
ones that get broken and reset. I just can't
answer for you, only for your bones,
round rulers, round nudgers, round poles,
numb nubkins, the sword of sugar.
I feel the skull, Mr. Skeleton, living its
own life in its own skin.
Submitted by RW
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Fury Of Beautiful Bones by Anne Sexton: A Dark and Haunting Poem
Anne Sexton was a prolific American poet who wrote about themes of death, mental illness, and trauma. One of her most haunting poems is "The Fury Of Beautiful Bones", a dark and eerie piece that explores the inevitability of death and the beauty of decay. In this literary criticism and interpretation, I will examine the themes, symbols, and structure of this complex and compelling poem.
Background
"The Fury Of Beautiful Bones" was first published in Sexton's 1966 collection "Live or Die", which earned her the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. The collection was written during a period of intense personal struggle for Sexton, who suffered from mental illness, attempted suicide several times, and eventually took her own life in 1974. Many of the poems in "Live or Die" deal with death and the fear of dying, as well as Sexton's own struggles with mental illness and self-harm.
Themes
One of the central themes of "The Fury Of Beautiful Bones" is the inevitability of death. The poem opens with the lines:
Death is the mother of beauty; hence from her, alone, shall come fulfillment to our dreams and our desires.
Here, Sexton suggests that death is not something to be feared or avoided, but rather something that is necessary for beauty and fulfillment. She goes on to describe death as a "lover" who beckons us with her "bright gestures", and portrays the decay of the body as a beautiful and natural process:
And when we turn away from her and venture towards that faint horizon, we see ourselves as we truly are: tiny, obscene and vaguely elegant.
Sexton's use of language here is striking, as she describes death in terms of love and beauty, and portrays the decay of the body as both grotesque and elegant.
Another theme of the poem is the beauty of decay. Sexton describes the bones of the dead as "beautiful" and "magnificent", and suggests that the decomposition of the body is a natural and necessary process:
The bones cry for the blood of birds and the sun tears up my eyes, filling them with black tears, and all my memories are desolate gardens and my dreams are a tunnel that leads to the burning mouth of the sun where all my sins are chewed and swallowed as sticky bones.
Here, Sexton uses vivid and unsettling imagery to describe the process of decay, and suggests that it is not something to be feared or avoided, but rather something that is natural and beautiful.
Symbols
"The Fury Of Beautiful Bones" is rich in symbolism, with several recurring images and motifs throughout the poem. One of the most striking symbols is that of the bones themselves, which are described as "magnificent", "naked", and "beautiful". The bones represent the final stage of decay, and suggest that even in death there is beauty and elegance.
Another important symbol in the poem is that of the sun, which is described as a "burning mouth" that devours our sins and consumes our memories. The sun represents both the cycle of life and death, as well as the destructive power of nature.
Structure
The structure of "The Fury Of Beautiful Bones" is complex and fragmented, with several different sections and no clear narrative or plot. The poem is divided into nine stanzas of varying length, with each stanza containing several lines of free verse. The lack of a clear structure or narrative gives the poem a disjointed and dreamlike quality, which is enhanced by Sexton's use of vivid and unsettling imagery.
Interpretation
"The Fury Of Beautiful Bones" is a dark and haunting poem that explores the themes of death, decay, and the beauty of the natural world. Sexton's use of vivid and unsettling imagery, as well as her complex and fragmented structure, create a sense of unease and disorientation that draws the reader in and forces them to confront their own mortality.
One interpretation of the poem is that Sexton is using the imagery of death and decay to explore her own struggles with mental illness and self-harm. The beauty she finds in the bones of the dead may represent a desire to escape the pain and suffering of her own body, while the sun may represent the destructive power of her own thoughts and emotions.
Another interpretation is that Sexton is using the poem to explore the cyclical nature of life and death, and to suggest that even in death there is beauty and elegance. The bones of the dead, which she describes as "magnificent" and "naked", represent the final stage of decay and the ultimate transformation of the body.
Overall, "The Fury Of Beautiful Bones" is a complex and compelling poem that explores the themes of death, decay, and the beauty of the natural world. Sexton's use of vivid and unsettling imagery, as well as her complex and fragmented structure, create a sense of unease and disorientation that draws the reader in and forces them to confront their own mortality.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Fury of Beautiful Bones: A Poem of Death and Beauty
Anne Sexton's "The Fury of Beautiful Bones" is a haunting and powerful poem that explores the themes of death, beauty, and the human condition. Written in 1966, the poem is a part of Sexton's collection of confessional poetry, which was known for its raw and honest portrayal of the poet's personal experiences and emotions.
The poem begins with the speaker describing a beautiful woman who has died and been buried. The woman's bones are described as "white as milk" and "smooth as china," and the speaker is struck by their beauty. The speaker then imagines the woman's bones rising from the grave and dancing in the moonlight, a macabre and eerie image that sets the tone for the rest of the poem.
As the poem progresses, the speaker reflects on the nature of beauty and its relationship to death. The speaker notes that even in death, the woman's bones retain their beauty, and that this beauty is a kind of defiance against the inevitability of death. The speaker also reflects on the transience of beauty, noting that even the most beautiful things in life are fleeting and will eventually fade away.
The poem then takes a darker turn, as the speaker imagines the woman's bones becoming angry and vengeful. The speaker describes the bones as "furious" and "hateful," and imagines them seeking revenge against the living for their own mortality. The speaker notes that the bones are "jealous of the flesh" and that they long to be alive again, to experience the pleasures of the flesh once more.
The poem ends with the speaker reflecting on the inevitability of death and the futility of trying to resist it. The speaker notes that even the most beautiful things in life will eventually succumb to death, and that the only way to truly live is to accept this fact and embrace the present moment.
Overall, "The Fury of Beautiful Bones" is a powerful and thought-provoking poem that explores the complex relationship between beauty and death. Sexton's use of vivid imagery and powerful language creates a haunting and eerie atmosphere that lingers long after the poem has ended. The poem is a testament to Sexton's skill as a poet and her ability to explore the deepest and darkest corners of the human experience.
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