Poetry

[ayahav]

I'm going to run a trial.

The Sick Rose
William Blake    


1. O Rose, thou art sick!
2. The invisible worm
3. That flies in the night,
4. In the howling storm,
 
5. Has found out thy bed
6. Of crimson joy:
7. And his dark secret love
8. Does thy life destroy.

I interpret this poem as being about sexual intercourse and the act of deflowering a maiden. A rose, generally accepted as being symbolic of the female genitalia, is being invaded by a worm, during a 'howling storm' (line 4). It wouldn't be a far leap to assume that the 'howling sotrm' from line 4 is an orgasm. The further use of words like 'night' (line 3), 'bed' (line 5), 'dark... love' (line 7) and 'crimson (line 6) build an allusion to the act of sexual intercourse, as they are all words that we associate with the act of sexual intercourse, and sexual love and affection. The poet, William Blake, assumes that pregnancy is a sickness, and thereby adds the commitement induced by sexual intercourse to his collection of feelings present in Songs of Experience[\u]. "The SICK ROSE" is a poem about the destroyed and ruiined life of a maiden after she was deflowered.




Did I offend anyone with my interpretation? I should certainly hope NOT!

[bernhard]

You
Charles Bukowski

you’re a beast, she said
your big white belly
and those hairy feet
you never cut your nails
and you have fat hands
paws like a cat
your bright red nose
and the biggest balls I’ve ever seen
you shoot sperm like a
whale shoots water out of the
hole in its back.

beast, beast, beast,
she kissed me,
what do you want for
breakfast?

(from Love is a Dog from Hell – Black Sparrow Press).

I interpret this poem as being about religiousness and asceticism with particular reference to Christian mysticism. The symbolism is clear: the beast (the devil to be conquered by religious contemplation) is repeatedly mentioned and accurately described (hairy feet, big white belly, long nails, half animal). There are Biblical references regarding Jonas and the whale, and the practice of going into the desert for prolonged fasts (“What do you want for break fast?).

Also the symbology of “water” (“shoots water out of the hole in his back”), frequently used to describe a flexible attitude to life in contrast to “stone” which is a rigid, literal understanding. Above that we also have “wine” meaning mystical understanding (hence Jesus transforms “water” contained in “stone” jars into "wine"). In other poems Bukowsky makes frequent references to being inebriated with “wine” (mystical understanding) and being “stoned” senseless (filled with inferior literal and rigid understanding). Hence Jesus being portrayed as the “fish” (who lives in “water”, that is, real understanding) and Jonas being swallowed by a big “fish”. Hence again Jesus being able to walk on “water”, while Peter sinks like a “stone”.

I must say that I am baffled by the hermetic reference to “balls”. Some ancient ritual game (the ancestor of football) perhaps?

What leads me to question why poets like Blake have to use dirty language and imagery when they could write nice, clean and spiritually uplifting poetry like Bukowsky.



Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[xvimbi]

You
Charles Bukowski
...
What leads me to question why poets like Blake have to use dirty language and imagery when they could write nice, clean and spiritually uplifting poetry like Bukowsky.

Absolutely hilarious! How in the world do you come up with such an elegant and humorous reposte? Your last paragraph, though, is too direct in revealing your biting sarcasm. Haven't had a laugh that hard in a while!  

[donjuan]

The world's shortest pessimistic poem with the longest title:
hope? nope.