Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Marge Piercy’s "The Hunger Moon" is an evocative and richly detailed exploration of the seasonal rhythms and their profound effects on both nature and human behavior. The poem delves into the interplay between the natural world and the human body, highlighting the contrasts and connections between them. Piercy uses the imagery of the moon and winter to reflect on themes of survival, instinct, and the cyclical nature of life.

The poem opens with a striking image: "The snow is frozen moonlight on the marshes." This metaphor not only sets the scene but also establishes the moon’s influence over the winter landscape. The description of the air as "thin / as a skim of black ice and serrated, / cutting the lungs" conveys the harshness and sharpness of winter, affecting both the environment and the speaker physically. The sting in the eyes and the thin air emphasize the severity of the season.

As the poem progresses, Piercy introduces the idea of looking to the moon for guidance: "Spring, I watch the moon for instruction / in planting; summer, I gauge her grasp / on the tides of the sea, the bay, my womb." Here, the moon is a teacher and a guide, its phases dictating the rhythms of planting, the tides, and even the cycles of the body. This connection underscores the deep bond between the speaker and the natural world, where the moon’s phases are intricately tied to human activities and biological rhythms.

However, winter brings a different relationship: "But winters, we are in opposition. / I must fight the strong pulls of the body." The season demands a struggle against the natural inclinations of the body, which craves rest and nourishment. The blood’s croon to "curl to sleep, embryo in a seed" suggests a primal urge to retreat and conserve energy, akin to hibernation. The imagery of the "down cave" and night squatting in the pines reflects the pervasive darkness and the instinct to sleep longer during winter.

Piercy vividly captures the body's winter cravings: "not salads, not crisp apples and sweet kiwis, / but haunches of beef and thick fatty stews." This desire for rich, hearty foods contrasts with the lighter fare of other seasons, driven by the need to build up reserves against the cold and scarcity. The "crone in the bone" personifies the ancient wisdom and survival instincts that urge the speaker to eat and grow fat as protection against famine.

The poem’s title, "The Hunger Moon," is personified as "grinning like a skull," suggesting both the scarcity and the drive for survival that winter brings. The description of animals, such as voles and shrews, also emphasizes the struggle for sustenance during this time. The crone’s wisdom is pragmatic, rooted in the necessity of surviving harsh winters: "Eat, make fat against famine, grow round / while there’s something rich to gnaw on."

The tension between the speaker’s desires and the crone’s wisdom is palpable: "She wants me full as tonight’s moon / when I long to wane." This longing to wane reflects a desire to resist the natural inclination to overindulge, to defy the cycle of growth and consumption. The speaker questions why she must fight against this ancient wisdom, acknowledging that it has helped generations of women survive: "who taught my mother’s mother’s mothers / to survive the death marches of winters."

In "The Hunger Moon," Marge Piercy masterfully weaves together the imagery of the moon, winter, and the human body to explore themes of survival, instinct, and the cyclical nature of life. The poem captures the tension between the natural world’s demands and human desires, illustrating the deep connections and conflicts that arise from our instinctual drives. Through vivid imagery and reflective narration, Piercy offers a poignant meditation on the rhythms of nature and the enduring wisdom passed down through generations.

Copyright (c) 2025 PoetryExplorer

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...