Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Dorianne Laux?s "Kissing" is a meditation on the universality, persistence, and resilience of human intimacy, even amid the chaos and destruction of the world. The poem transcends the simple act of kissing, elevating it to a metaphor for survival, connection, and the fragile hope that endures despite a fractured reality. Laux?s deliberate use of vivid imagery and historical and cultural allusions layers the poem with meaning, making it both intimate and epic.

The opening lines ground the act of kissing in specific yet timeless settings: a park bench, an old bed, a church floor. These locations, ordinary yet charged with emotional resonance, suggest that kissing is an act both mundane and extraordinary, capable of transforming any space into a realm of connection. The progression of imagery moves outward, encompassing public and private moments, expanding the personal act into a collective experience. The juxtaposition of kissing "as the streets fill with balloons / or soldiers, locusts or confetti" highlights its enduring presence against the backdrop of celebration, catastrophe, or even apocalyptic events. Here, Laux begins to weave the idea that kissing is both an act of defiance and an assertion of life.

Historical references like Christ carrying his cross and Gandhi delivering his speeches lend the poem a weight of universality, placing the intimate act of kissing within the sweep of monumental human struggles. These moments contrast with the tenderness and vulnerability of the kiss, emphasizing its power to exist even in the face of suffering, violence, and despair. The image of "a bullet / careens through the air toward a child’s / good heart" is particularly striking, suggesting the fragility of innocence and the persistence of human connection even as the world threatens to unravel.

The exploration of physicality in the middle stanzas delves into the sensory immediacy of kissing. Phrases like "exploring / the silence of the tongue" and "the mute / rungs of the upper palate" invite the reader into the intimate, almost sacred space of the act. The sensuality here is not gratuitous but reverent, celebrating the tactile and corporeal aspects of love and longing. The description of lips swelling and tongues quickening captures both the physical and emotional intensity of the moment, elevating it into a primal, almost instinctive act of preservation.

Laux’s refrain-like use of "They are kissing" reinforces the persistence of this act, as though it is a rhythm that cannot be interrupted, no matter the surrounding chaos. This rhythm echoes through images of babies being born, bombs dropping, and historical figures engaging in their quotidian or monumental tasks. Kissing becomes a thread that ties together disparate moments of life and death, joy and sorrow.

The poem’s climax comes with the lines: "I want to believe / they are kissing to save the world, / but they’re not." Here, Laux undercuts any romanticized notion of kissing as a salvific act. Instead, she presents it as an elemental response to the brokenness of the world, an instinctual act of survival and connection. The lovers are not heroes or saviors; they are "two-legged beasts," raw and vulnerable, trying to shield themselves from the harshness of existence. Their faces are described as "roses crushed / together and opening," a delicate and poignant image that captures both the beauty and pain of intimacy.

The closing lines, "In a broken world they are / practicing this simple and singular act / to perfection," encapsulate the poem’s central message. Kissing becomes an act of resistance against the fragmentation of the world, a way of holding onto one another and preserving a semblance of humanity. The act itself is not about saving the world but about surviving it, about creating a moment of unity and solace in a landscape of chaos.

“Kissing” is a profoundly human poem, rooted in the tactile and immediate yet expansive in its scope. Laux’s masterful use of imagery and repetition draws the reader into a world where the simplest acts—kissing, holding, connecting—become profound gestures of endurance and hope. It is a celebration of intimacy as both an instinct and an art, a testament to the power of love and connection in a world that often seems intent on tearing itself apart.

Copyright (c) 2025 PoetryExplorer

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...