Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Angel of Flight and Sleigh Bells," the third section of Anne Sexton’s "Angels of the Love Affair", the poet continues her exploration of the complex dimensions of human experience, focusing this time on the themes of paralysis, disembodiment, and the yearning for transcendence. Through the invocation of the "Angel of flight and sleigh bells," Sexton contrasts the desire for freedom and movement with the terrifying experience of being trapped in one’s own body and mind.

The poem opens with a striking juxtaposition: "Angel of flight and sleigh bells, do you know paralysis, / that ether house where your arms and legs are cement?" This image immediately sets up a tension between the idea of flight—freedom, movement, and joy—and paralysis, a state of complete immobility and helplessness. The "ether house" suggests a dreamlike, anesthetized state, where the body is disconnected from its usual capabilities, and the metaphor of "cement" evokes a sense of being permanently fixed or immobilized.

Sexton intensifies this feeling of disconnection by describing the experience as being "as still as a yardstick," with "a doll's kiss." The yardstick, a tool for measurement, implies rigidity and precision, but also a lack of life or warmth. The "doll's kiss" furthers this idea, suggesting something that is artificial, mechanical, and devoid of true emotion. This line hints at a deeper sense of alienation, where the speaker feels reduced to an inanimate object, devoid of agency and warmth.

The poem then shifts to the brain, describing it as whirling "in a fit," but simultaneously as "not evident." This contradiction captures the confusion and disorientation often associated with mental illness or extreme emotional states. The brain, the seat of consciousness, is both hyperactive and seemingly absent, leading to a profound sense of disconnect between mind and body.

The speaker then confesses, "I have gone to that same place without a germ or a stroke. / A little solo act — that lady with the brain that broke." This admission reveals that the paralysis and disconnection described are not due to any physical illness but rather stem from a psychological or emotional breakdown. The "little solo act" underscores the isolation inherent in this experience, as the speaker faces her condition alone, becoming "that lady with the brain that broke."

Sexton continues to explore the speaker's transformation into something inanimate: "In this fashion I have become a tree. / I have become a vase you can pick up or drop at will." These metaphors of a tree and a vase—both objects that are stationary, unfeeling, and at the mercy of external forces—reflect the speaker's sense of powerlessness and passivity. The idea of being "inanimate at last" carries a note of resignation, suggesting that the speaker sees this state as a kind of "unusual luck," a release from the burdens of conscious life.

The plea to the "Angel of flight" in the closing lines, "stay near. But give me the totem. Give me the shut eye," reveals a yearning for both proximity to the ideal of flight and a desire for escape. The totem, a symbol of spiritual connection and protection, represents a desire for something to hold onto in this state of paralysis. The "shut eye," on the other hand, suggests a wish for oblivion, for the ability to shut out the painful reality and retreat into a state of unfeeling.

The final image of standing "in stone shoes as the world's bicycle goes by" encapsulates the speaker's sense of being rooted to the spot, unable to move or participate in the world that continues to spin around her. The stone shoes are a powerful symbol of the weight of paralysis, grounding the speaker in a place of immobility while life rushes past, unattainable and indifferent.

Through these vivid and unsettling images, Sexton conveys the profound alienation and helplessness that come with mental and emotional paralysis. The "Angel of flight and sleigh bells," with its associations of freedom, joy, and movement, stands in stark contrast to the speaker's reality, emphasizing the tragic gulf between the life she yearns for and the one she is trapped in.

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