Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Dorianne Laux’s “Fast Gas; For Richard” is a vivid meditation on an unexpected and transformative moment, one that fuses physical sensation with emotional awakening. Through its exploration of work, body, and desire, the poem reflects on a formative experience, rendered in sensory-rich detail, and links it to the speaker’s first encounter with love.

The poem is set in the past, in a time “before the days of self service,” when gas stations were staffed by attendants. Laux situates the speaker in this bygone era, performing a menial job that carries little glamour or importance. The speaker, a young woman, is described modestly: “hair pulled back / in a straight, unlovely ponytail.” This self-deprecating detail establishes her as an ordinary figure, a worker moving through the repetitive motions of her role. Yet, this ordinariness is soon shattered by an extraordinary and visceral event.

The central moment of the poem—the accidental dousing of the speaker in gasoline—unfolds with both immediacy and lyricism. The description is both literal and metaphorical: “the gas / backed up, came arcing out of the hole / in a bright gold wave and soaked me.” The liquid becomes transformative, almost alchemical, as it “glazed my flesh” and caused her skin to “glow / like rainbowed oil on the pavement.” This imagery captures the simultaneous danger and allure of the experience. Gasoline, ordinarily associated with utility and volatility, becomes something luminous and almost sacred. It is as though the speaker is anointed, transformed into a figure of startling beauty and raw power.

The physical sensations of this moment are intricately detailed, from the “searing, / subterranean pain” to the shimmering effect of the gas on her skin. These descriptions convey both the immediacy of her discomfort and a strange sense of wonder. The speaker is “pure and amazed,” finding something transcendent in the aftermath of the accident. This physical awakening prefigures the emotional and romantic awakening to come, setting the stage for her first experience of love.

The transition from the speaker’s ordeal to her reflection on love is seamless, as Laux ties the two experiences together through the motif of fire. The speaker describes the man she would fall in love with as “waiting / patiently in my future like a red leaf / on the sidewalk, the kind of beauty / that asks to be noticed.” This simile suggests both inevitability and serendipity, as though love were a natural part of her journey, something both ordinary and extraordinary. The “red leaf” evokes a moment of fleeting beauty, something fragile yet profound.

The speaker’s transformation in the aftermath of the gasoline incident becomes a metaphor for her emotional readiness for love. She describes herself as “an ordinary woman who could rise / in flame,” suggesting both vulnerability and power. This fiery imagery connects her physical experience with her capacity for passion and intimacy. The man’s role is minimal yet significant—“all he would have to do / is come close and touch me.” His presence is enough to ignite the latent energy within her, highlighting the transformative power of connection and desire.

Laux’s use of language is central to the poem’s impact. The straightforward tone of the opening lines gives way to lush and evocative descriptions, mirroring the speaker’s journey from routine to revelation. The enjambment throughout the poem creates a sense of fluidity and movement, echoing the arc of the gasoline and the flow of the speaker’s thoughts. The sensory details—amber gas, rainbowed oil, searing pain—anchor the poem in the physical while also elevating it to the realm of metaphor.

“Fast Gas; For Richard” captures a moment of unexpected beauty and transformation, blending the physical and emotional into a unified experience. Through its exploration of memory, body, and desire, the poem speaks to the ways in which ordinary moments can become extraordinary, preparing us for the profound encounters that shape our lives. Laux’s speaker emerges from her trial both scarred and illuminated, ready to embrace the passionate intensity of love. The poem reminds us that even the mundane can lead to revelations, and that beauty, however fleeting, can ignite something lasting within us.

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