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Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | |||
Alice Fulton's "The Great Aunts of My Childhood" is a vivid and evocative portrayal of the poet's memories of her great aunts, capturing the texture and atmosphere of a bygone era. The poem delves into themes of memory, familial legacy, and the interplay between childhood innocence and the passage of time. The poem opens with a striking image of the aunts' hairstyles: "Buns harden like pomanders at their napes," which conjures a sense of permanence and tradition. The "famous good skin" of the aunts is "smocked like cloth," suggesting both the physical aging process and the enduring resilience of these women. The imagery here is rich and tactile, emphasizing the sensory details that anchor the poet's memories. The setting is further detailed with descriptions of the household objects: "Stained glass wrings out the light" and "the old tub claws the oilcloth." These lines evoke a sense of a home filled with character and history, where everyday items carry the weight of the past. The mention of "Kit makes cups of bitter cocoa or apricot juice that furs my throat" adds another layer of sensory experience, blending the bitter and the sweet, much like the memories themselves. The poem takes a poignant turn with the quiet death of Mame in the bedroom. The act of pressing "the gold watch into my hands" is a powerful gesture of passing on both a physical and a symbolic inheritance. Mame's wish for the speaker to take her middle name, Zita—"Saint of Pots and Pans"—at confirmation, contrasts with the speaker's choice of Theresa, "the Little Flower." This choice reflects a desire for a simpler, perhaps more romanticized, version of sainthood and identity, as represented by the "nosegay" in the saint's book. The juxtaposition of these two saints highlights the tension between the practical, hardworking life epitomized by Zita and the idealized, delicate beauty of Theresa. The speaker's preference for Theresa's "blonde room sprouting jade plants, electric necessities" indicates a shift towards modernity and personal comfort, away from the more austere and laborious past represented by Zita. The poem concludes with a striking image of the night's transformative power: "nights that turn my nipples to cloves / till dawn pours in like washwater." This simile connects the natural, bodily experience with domestic chores, blending the intimate with the mundane. The dawn, described as "harsh yellow soap," suggests a cleansing but also an abrasive reality, scrubbing away the remnants of the night and dreams. "The Great Aunts of My Childhood" is a beautifully crafted reflection on the intersection of personal memory and familial heritage. Through her rich imagery and careful attention to detail, Alice Fulton captures the complexity of growing up within the shadow of previous generations. The poem invites readers to consider the ways in which we carry forward the legacies of our ancestors, blending their influence with our own choices and identities.
| Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...MY AUNT ELLA MAE by MICHAEL S. HARPER THE GOLDEN SHOVEL by TERRANCE HAYES LIZARDS AND SNAKES by ANTHONY HECHT THE BOOK OF A THOUSAND EYES: I LOVE by LYN HEJINIAN CHILD ON THE MARSH by ANDREW HUDGINS MY MOTHER'S HANDS by ANDREW HUDGINS PLAYING DEAD by ANDREW HUDGINS THE GLASS HAMMER by ANDREW HUDGINS INSECT LIFE OF FLORIDA by LYNDA HULL |
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