Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Angel of Beach Houses and Picnics," the sixth section of "Angels of the Love Affair", Anne Sexton delves into the solitude and nostalgia of a life once filled with vibrancy, companionship, and the joys of youth. This poem contrasts the memories of past pleasures with the stark reality of the present, where the speaker finds herself alone, haunted by the echo of what once was.

The angel invoked in this section, the "Angel of beach houses and picnics," is a figure that should embody leisure, warmth, and community—symbols of idyllic summer moments spent in the company of others. Yet, the poem opens with a jarring contrast: "Angel of beach houses and picnics, do you know solitaire?" Solitaire, a game played alone, immediately sets the tone of isolation that pervades the poem. The speaker is left to confront her solitude, reflected in the imagery of "Fifty-two reds and blacks and only myself to blame." The cards symbolize not just the game but the randomness and isolation of her current existence, where even her blood "buzzes like a hornet's nest," indicating a restless, troubled inner state.

The imagery of the kitchen table "set for one" reinforces the theme of loneliness. The table is meticulously arranged, with the same "silverware" and "glass and the sugar bowl," as if clinging to a semblance of order or routine can stave off the emptiness. Yet, the speaker's breath, described as "lungs fill and / expel as in an operation," suggests a mechanical existence, devoid of the warmth and spontaneity that once characterized her life.

The speaker reminisces about a time when she was "a couple," metaphorically describing herself as "my own king and queen." This dual identity highlights the completeness she once felt, a sense of self-sufficiency bolstered by the joy of shared experiences—symbolized by "cheese and bread and rose on the rocks of Rockport." Rockport, a coastal town, serves as a backdrop for these happy memories, further emphasizing the loss of these moments. The speaker's past is filled with images of vitality and freedom: sunbathing "in the buff, all brown and lean," watching the "toy sloops" sail by, and even embracing the rebellious spirit of youth by "invited arrest / at the peace march in Washington."

These memories, however, are tinged with a sense of loss and longing. The repetition of "Once" at the beginning of each line underscores the idea that these moments are firmly in the past, inaccessible in the speaker's present life. The final lines—"Once I was young and / bold and left hundreds of unmatched people out in the cold"—capture the bittersweet nature of these memories. The speaker was once vibrant and full of life, but that vitality is now overshadowed by the loneliness of her current state.

This section of the poem poignantly captures the contrast between the fullness of life once lived and the emptiness of the present. The angel of beach houses and picnics, who should symbolize joy and community, instead presides over a scene of solitude and introspection. Through evocative imagery and a deeply personal tone, Sexton explores the inevitability of change and the pain of remembering a time when life was richer, more connected, and more alive. The poem becomes a meditation on the passage of time, the loss of youth, and the enduring ache of memories that can never be fully recaptured.

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