Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Mark Jarman's "Unholy Sonnet 11" navigates the complex interplay between the human experience of prayer, the suddenness of divine response, and the lingering dissatisfaction of not being able to fully grasp or replicate a transcendent moment. Through a narrative that captures both the mystique and the elusiveness of spiritual experiences, Jarman delves into themes of faith, memory, and the nature of divine encounters.

The poem opens with the speaker recounting a moment of semi-conscious prayer: "Half asleep in prayer I said the right thing / And felt a sudden pleasure come into / The room or my own body." This sets the stage for a mystical experience, blurring the lines between the physical and the spiritual. The ambiguity of whether the "pleasure" entered the room or the speaker's body highlights the intimate and almost indistinguishable connection between external divine presence and internal spiritual awakening.

The subsequent lines, "In the dark, / Charged with a change of atmosphere, at first / I couldn’t tell my body from the room," further emphasize this merging of the physical and the spiritual. The "change of atmosphere" signifies a palpable shift that transcends ordinary sensory experience, immersing the speaker in a state where the boundaries of self and environment dissolve.

Jarman continues to describe the speaker's heightened awareness: "And I was wide awake, full of this feeling, / Alert as though I’d heard a doorknob twist, / A drawer pulled." The simile comparing the spiritual awakening to hearing a doorknob twist or a drawer pulled captures the immediacy and vividness of the experience. However, instead of evoking fear, this "intrusion" brings "an overwhelming joy," contrasting the typical reaction to an unexpected nocturnal sound.

The speaker's recognition that this profound joy is a response to their prayer—"I had said thanks and this was the response"—underlines the reciprocity between human gratitude and divine grace. Yet, the specifics of the prayer remain elusive: "But how I said it or what I said it for / I still cannot recall and I have tried / All sorts of ways all hours of the night." This forgetfulness signifies the enigmatic nature of spiritual experiences, where the exact conditions and content of the prayer that elicited such a response cannot be precisely remembered or replicated.

The concluding line, "Once was enough to be dissatisfied," encapsulates the bittersweet reality of transcendent experiences. While the singular encounter was profoundly satisfying at the moment, it also leaves the speaker with a sense of yearning and dissatisfaction, knowing that such moments are rare and difficult to reproduce.

In "Unholy Sonnet 11," Mark Jarman eloquently captures the fleeting and enigmatic nature of spiritual experiences. The poem's exploration of the intersection between prayer, divine response, and human memory invites readers to reflect on their own encounters with the ineffable and the persistent longing for understanding and repetition of those moments of transcendence. Through vivid imagery and contemplative language, Jarman offers a poignant meditation on the complexities of faith and the human desire for spiritual connection.

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