Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Anne Sexton's "As It Was Written" is a potent reflection on environmental degradation and the consequent existential despair it engenders. Through a series of stark and visceral images, Sexton paints a grim picture of a world in decline, a planet on the brink of extinction, where nature and humanity alike are trapped in a cycle of destruction.

The poem opens with the repeated invocation of "Earth, earth," establishing an intimate and almost reverential tone, yet this is quickly juxtaposed with the brutal imagery of the planet "riding your merry-go-round / toward extinction." The metaphor of a merry-go-round, typically associated with childhood innocence and joy, is here subverted to suggest a cyclical, inevitable march towards demise. This juxtaposition sets the stage for the rest of the poem, where familiar elements of the natural world are depicted in grotesque and corrupted forms.

Sexton's description of the oceans "thickening... like gravy" and the earth "festering in your caves" conveys a sense of physical corruption and decay. The word "festering" particularly emphasizes a sense of rot and sickness, implying that the very foundations of the planet are contaminated. The imagery of the earth becoming "a latrine" further amplifies this sense of degradation, suggesting that the natural world, once pure and life-giving, has been reduced to a waste receptacle.

The metaphor of trees as "twisted chairs" and flowers that "moan at their mirrors" suggests a world where even the most basic elements of nature have been distorted beyond recognition. The trees, symbols of stability and life, are now warped into something unnatural, while the flowers, traditionally symbols of beauty, are trapped in a narcissistic self-reflection, longing for a sun that "doesn't wear a mask." This reference to a masked sun hints at the artificiality or falseness that now pervades the natural world, a world where even the source of life and warmth has become obscured or corrupted.

Sexton continues this theme of corruption with the image of "clouds wear[ing] white, / trying to become nuns / and say novenas to the sky." The clouds, usually symbols of purity or divine presence, are here depicted as trying—and failing—to attain purity or spiritual sanctity. Their efforts are futile, as indicated by the sky that "is yellow with its jaundice," a sickly image that implies widespread contamination. The rivers, once sources of life and renewal, are now tainted as well, their veins spilling "into the rivers / where the fish kneel down / to swallow hair and goat's eyes." This grotesque image of fish consuming unnatural and repulsive objects further emphasizes the pervasive corruption of the natural world.

The speaker's observation that "the world is strangling" encapsulates the overarching theme of suffocation and destruction. The earth, once vibrant and full of life, is now choked by its own decay. This sense of entrapment is mirrored in the speaker's own experience, as they lie in bed each night, listening to their "twenty shoes / converse about it." This surreal image suggests a mind overwhelmed by the horrors of the world, with even inanimate objects becoming sentient witnesses to the earth's decline. The use of "twenty shoes" might symbolize a multiplicity of thoughts or anxieties, all engaged in a futile discussion about the state of the world.

The poem concludes with a chilling image of the moon, "under its dark hood," falling from the sky with "its hungry red mouth / to suck at my scars." The moon, traditionally a symbol of calm and reflection, is here transformed into a predatory force, a vampiric presence that feeds on the speaker's wounds. This final image reinforces the theme of a world turned hostile and dangerous, where even the celestial bodies that once offered comfort are now agents of pain and despair.

In "As It Was Written", Sexton uses vivid and unsettling imagery to convey a deep sense of environmental and existential crisis. The natural world, once a source of beauty and life, has been irrevocably damaged, its elements twisted into grotesque parodies of their former selves. The poem's dark, apocalyptic tone reflects the speaker's profound disillusionment and despair, capturing the overwhelming sense of loss that accompanies the realization of the world's impending doom. Through this poem, Sexton not only mourns the physical degradation of the planet but also the spiritual and emotional toll that such destruction exacts on humanity.

Copyright (c) 2025 PoetryExplorer

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...