Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Denise Levertov's poem "Psyche in Somerville" explores themes of longing, absence, and the pain of separation through a modern reimagining of the myth of Psyche and Eros. By invoking the classical story, Levertov delves into the intense emotional landscape of the speaker, who grapples with the absence of a loved one and the desperate desire to reconnect.

The poem begins with a raw expression of anger: "I am angry with X, with Y, with Z, / for not being you." This immediate declaration sets the tone for the speaker's frustration and longing. The alphabetic placeholders (X, Y, Z) suggest a universal and pervasive sense of disappointment, where everything and everyone fails to measure up to the absent beloved.

Levertov continues with vivid, sensory imagery: "Enthusiasms jump at me, / wagging and barking. Go away. / Go home." Here, the speaker personifies distractions and fleeting joys as eager, but ultimately unwanted, dogs. This metaphor conveys the speaker's inability to find solace or distraction in the usual sources of happiness, underscoring their single-minded longing for the absent person.

The poem shifts to a poignant self-reproach: "I am angry with my eyes for not seeing you, / they smart and ache and see the snow, / an insistent brilliance." The eyes, burdened with the task of finding the beloved, instead encounter the blinding, indifferent brilliance of snow. This imagery highlights the contrast between the desired presence and the stark, cold reality.

Levertov then draws a parallel with the myth of Psyche: "If I were Psyche how could I not / bring the lamp to our bedside?" The speaker reflects on Psyche’s story, where Psyche, out of curiosity and longing, reveals her divine lover Eros with a lamp, leading to their separation and subsequent trials. The speaker asserts they would have acted similarly, despite knowing the consequences: "I would have known in advance / all the travails my gazing / would bring... and even so, how could I not have raised / the amber flame to see / the human person I knew / was to be revealed."

This introspective passage reveals the speaker's willingness to endure hardship for a moment of truth and connection. The comparison to Psyche’s situation underscores a deep hunger for the beloved’s physical presence and a revelation of their true form.

Levertov continues to contrast Psyche’s mythic experience with the speaker's reality: "She dreaded / a beast and discovered / a god. But I / know, and hunger / to witness again the form / of mortal love itself." Unlike Psyche, who feared an unknown monster and found a god, the speaker yearns for the familiar, tangible presence of human love.

The speaker’s frustration intensifies: "I am angry with everything that is filling / the space of your absence, / breathing your air." This line captures the sense of intrusion felt by the speaker, where the presence of anything other than the beloved becomes an affront.

The poem's climax is a poignant lament for the lost intimacy: "Psyche, / how blessed you were / in the dark, knowing him in your flesh." The speaker envies Psyche’s ignorance and physical connection, contrasting it with their own isolation. They acknowledge a willingness to endure perpetual darkness and the "foolish voices, barking of aeolian dogs, / the desert glitter / of days full of boring treasures," if it meant maintaining that intimate connection.

The final lines bring the myth into the modern world with a touch of irony: "and not have to wait / for Mercury, dressed in the sad gray coat of a mailman / and no wings on his feet, / to bring me your words." The transformation of Mercury, the divine messenger, into a mundane mailman underscores the painful banality of their separation. The speaker longs for a return to the intimate, direct connection rather than relying on distant, impersonal communication.

"Psyche in Somerville" is a profound meditation on longing and the ache of absence. Through the reimagining of a classic myth, Levertov delves deeply into the emotional turmoil of separation, highlighting the intense desire for presence and the painful realities of modern distance. The poem’s vivid imagery and emotional depth invite readers to reflect on their own experiences of love, absence, and the enduring human yearning for connection.

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