Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Sunday Night" by Sharon Olds is a deeply introspective and emotionally charged poem that explores the traumatic experiences of the speaker's childhood, specifically focusing on the inappropriate behavior of her father. The poem confronts themes of abuse, complicity, guilt, and the complex process of seeking forgiveness and self-cleansing. Through vivid and unsettling imagery, Olds delves into the lasting impact of these experiences on the speaker's psyche and the desire to find peace and redemption.

The poem opens with a stark depiction of the father's behavior: "my father would put his hand up a waitress's / skirt if he could." The graphic description of his actions, extending "hand, wrist, / forearm," and the unsettling image of "just the upper arm" visible, conveys the invasiveness and violation he perpetrated. The father's actions are presented as routine and habitual, with a disturbing detachment as the poem notes, "it was always the right arm, he wasn't / fooling." The phrase "as if he had reached behind the night" suggests a metaphorical crossing of boundaries, a transgression into darkness and immorality.

The speaker's observations of her father include details like "his teeth were wet, the whites of his eyes / wet," which emphasize the grotesque and almost inhuman nature of his actions. The father's behavior leads to the family being unwelcome at restaurants, "no one would serve us," highlighting the widespread impact of his actions. The speaker's admission, "and I never warned her," reveals a painful complicity, an inability or unwillingness to prevent the harm caused by the father.

The poem captures the father's twisted sense of humor and the disturbing nature of the situation with "Wooop! he would go, as if we were having / fun together." The father's behavior is depicted as a perverse joke, a performance with "his other arm lying on the table," enhancing the grotesque image of a ventriloquist controlling a dummy. The speaker's anger and frustration culminate in a vivid fantasy of violence: "I wish I had stuck / a fork in that arm, driven the tines / deep, heard the squeak of muscle, / felt the skid on bone." This expression of rage and desire for retribution reflects the deep psychological scars left by these experiences.

As the poem progresses, the speaker reflects on the possibility of encountering someone related to the women her father assaulted, expressing a desire to make amends: "I want to sweep, tidy, stack -- / whatever I can do, clean the stable / of my father's mind." This metaphorical act of cleaning represents an attempt to undo the damage caused by her father's actions and perhaps cleanse her own conscience. The speaker seeks a form of redemption, a way to "undirty / my own" mind, and to view the human body as "blameless and lovely."

The poem concludes with a yearning for forgiveness and peace: "I want to work off / my father's and my sins, stand / beneath the night sky with the full moon / glowing, knowing I am under the dome / of a woman who forgives me." This final image evokes a sense of cosmic forgiveness and the possibility of finding solace under a forgiving universe, represented by the "dome / of a woman." The full moon, often a symbol of completeness and clarity, suggests a desire for understanding and acceptance, both from others and from oneself.

"Sunday Night" by Sharon Olds is a powerful exploration of the enduring effects of childhood trauma, the complex emotions of guilt and complicity, and the longing for purification and forgiveness. Through raw and vivid language, Olds conveys the profound impact of witnessing and being connected to wrongdoing, and the difficult journey toward healing and self-forgiveness. The poem's introspective nature invites readers to reflect on the challenges of reconciling with one's past and the possibility of finding redemption in the face of deep-seated guilt and shame.

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