Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"In the Cell" by Sharon Olds juxtaposes two disparate scenes to explore themes of aging, innocence, and the capacity for cruelty inherent in human nature. The poem shifts from a tranquil domestic moment to a vivid, disturbing image of torture, highlighting the complex dualities within individuals and the world.

The poem opens with a serene image: the speaker sitting in a car at the end of summer, her feet on the dashboard, with her children laughing in the backseat. This scene is filled with warmth and light, emphasized by the "gleaming" calf likened to a "crescent moon." The speaker's observation of her thinning leg hairs as she approaches middle age introduces a sense of personal reflection and the passage of time.

This peaceful moment starkly contrasts with the subsequent description of a young man torturing another. The young man's "vigorous hairs" are described as pulsing with power, a symbol of his vitality and strength. Yet, this strength is employed in an act of brutality, as he meticulously and slowly removes a man's genitals. The description of this act is clinical and detached, focusing on the precision and intent behind the torture. The juxtaposition of the young man's physical health with the violent act he is committing serves to underscore the poem's exploration of the dualities of human nature.

Olds delves into the torturer's purpose—to extract information, "names, locations, human maps of human cities"—which will allow him to exert control. The imagery of ruling maps and changing street names symbolizes a broader theme of domination and the erasure of identity and history. The torturer's actions are depicted as methodical and calculated, emphasizing the coldness and dehumanization involved.

The poem then shifts back to a contemplation of the young man's body. The speaker is struck by the "innocence of his own body, its goodness and health," juxtaposed with the horror of his actions. The imagery of the torturer's arm hairs, described as "sweet molasses pouring from the follicles," contrasts sharply with the violent act he is performing. This contrast highlights the unsettling coexistence of innocence and brutality within the same individual.

The final lines emphasize this dichotomy: the young man, engaged in an act of destruction, was himself "made" with the same care and innocence that he now undermines. The reference to "cooling in great looping curls above the sex of the man he is undoing" reinforces the stark opposition between creation and destruction, nurturing and harming.

"In the Cell" ultimately grapples with the incomprehensibility of human cruelty and the unsettling reality that such capacity for violence can exist within those who appear innocent and good. Sharon Olds masterfully contrasts scenes of everyday domestic life with the horrors of torture, using vivid and evocative imagery to explore the complex and often contradictory nature of humanity. Through this exploration, the poem invites readers to reflect on the dualities within themselves and the world around them, challenging them to reconcile the coexistence of beauty and brutality.

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