Poem found here: "By Force"
More about the Poet: Carl Phillips
The progression of voyeurism, "Look -- they're turning: how gracefully each / moves." The movements up close bringing a sense of intimacy, "in the surprise of woundedness--and, / where arrow meets flesh," the allusion to St. Sebastian here brings this encounter on a historical resonance, "the blood corsaging" the image is pretty and sexual at the same time.
Then there's this list that creates this tempo of sexual sounds, "Revelation, jackhammers, love, four hooves / in the dirt." This continuous pounding sound -- physically and auditory leads to a silence, "How speechless, now" There's an abruptness in the language -- is this post coitus -- that breath, then the regret.
Or rather the clarity one gets after an orgasm, when the mind is not driven by the body and the sound of the body. Then the language of the poem becomes more like an equation, "As if always/ light must wed the dark, eventually, and the dark / mean silence." There's a sense of a resignation of this cycle. can continue until the speaker becomes empowered, "I disagree."
"Touch not the crown-- Don't touch me--" The me and the crown comes off as a parallel image. A sense of importance and worth. This is why the speaker can say, "don't touch me." By force, what type? Consent? An uncontrollable urge? It's both.
More about the Poet: Carl Phillips
Then there's this list that creates this tempo of sexual sounds, "Revelation, jackhammers, love, four hooves / in the dirt." This continuous pounding sound -- physically and auditory leads to a silence, "How speechless, now" There's an abruptness in the language -- is this post coitus -- that breath, then the regret.
Or rather the clarity one gets after an orgasm, when the mind is not driven by the body and the sound of the body. Then the language of the poem becomes more like an equation, "As if always/ light must wed the dark, eventually, and the dark / mean silence." There's a sense of a resignation of this cycle. can continue until the speaker becomes empowered, "I disagree."
"Touch not the crown-- Don't touch me--" The me and the crown comes off as a parallel image. A sense of importance and worth. This is why the speaker can say, "don't touch me." By force, what type? Consent? An uncontrollable urge? It's both.
Comments
Post a Comment