Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Mood Indigo," William Matthews explores the pervasive and haunting presence of melancholy in the life of a young girl. The poem weaves together vivid imagery and sensory details to create a portrait of a complex emotional landscape. Matthews uses the metaphor of "Mood Indigo," a reference to the famous jazz standard by Duke Ellington, to capture the deep, pervasive sadness that colors the girl's experiences.

The poem opens with a series of sensory descriptions, starting with "the porch" and "the hayrick," where the girl's brothers playfully hide and breathe in the "ash-blond dusty air." This imagery evokes a rural setting, rich with the sights, sounds, and textures of the countryside. The description of the air as "ash-blond" suggests a light, hazy atmosphere, while the children's actions—chortling and slurping—imply a carefree, playful environment. However, the subtle detail of the "prickled" sensation introduces a hint of discomfort or unease.

The scene shifts to the "squeak and suck / of the well pump," a mechanical sound that implies both a mundane chore and a deeper, more existential grasp for sustenance. The "glove of rust" the pump implies on her hand introduces a tactile element of decay and wear, suggesting the harshness of rural life. The "dress parade of clothes / in her mothproofed closet" contrasts with the previous imagery, evoking a sense of order and preservation amidst a world that is otherwise raw and exposed.

As the poem progresses, Matthews layers the girl's experiences with various influences, such as her "tiny Philco" radio, which broadcasts old radio shows like "Nick Carter," "The Shadow," and "Sky King." These shows, emblematic of a different era, evoke a sense of nostalgia and escapism. The phrase "loosening bud of her body" delicately addresses the girl's physical maturation, linking it to an awakening of desires and vulnerabilities.

The description of "hunger / as they say; and from reading; from the finger / she used to dial her own number" introduces a more personal and introspective aspect, hinting at a yearning for connection and understanding. The reference to "the dark / loam of the borrowed fields and from the very sky" broadens the scope to encompass the natural world, suggesting that the melancholy the girl feels is as pervasive and omnipresent as the landscape around her.

Matthews poignantly captures the ephemeral nature of this feeling, noting that it "evaporated with the dew" yet "came back and curdled with milk and stung / with nettles." This imagery suggests that the sadness is both fleeting and persistent, manifesting in different forms and intensities. The poem likens the sadness to the "bleat of a lamb" and the "raucous, scratchy / gossip of the crows," natural sounds that evoke a sense of loneliness and foreboding.

The girl's melancholy is described as something that "walked with her to school and lay / with her to sleep," indicating that it is a constant companion. The culmination of these experiences leads her to a state of acceptance or resignation: "at last she was well pleased." This phrase suggests a complicated relationship with her sadness, possibly indicating a sense of comfort or familiarity with it.

The poem then shifts to describe the girl's daily life and how the melancholy permeates it. Whether she is sewing, baking, or simply existing, the sadness is an inescapable part of her reality, "like an odor snarled in the deepest folds of childhood." This deep-rooted sadness becomes synonymous with her experiences of loss and grief, including the "baby sister / blue and dead at birth," a poignant image that underscores the profound impact of loss on her psyche.

The metaphor of the river, "the chill headwaters of the river / that purled and meandered and ran and ran until / it issued into her, as into a sea," suggests the inevitability of her acceptance of this melancholy. The river, symbolic of the flow of emotions and experiences, eventually becomes part of her, just as she becomes a part of it.

In the closing lines, the poem portrays her as retreating to her room, occasionally emerging to walk in the fields "like a lithe blue rain," a haunting and beautiful image that captures the ethereal nature of her presence. The final scene, where "one of us would go and bring her in," suggests a community or family effort to care for her, despite the difficulty of fully understanding or alleviating her melancholy.

"Mood Indigo" is a richly textured exploration of sadness, identity, and the subtle interplay between an individual's internal and external worlds. Matthews's use of evocative imagery and metaphor creates a poignant portrayal of a young girl's complex emotional landscape, revealing how deeply intertwined her sense of self is with the pervasive melancholy that defines her existence.

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