Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Anne Sexton's poem "Ghosts" is a haunting exploration of the spectral figures that linger in the mind, embodying both personal and collective anxieties. These ghosts, neither abstract nor distant, are portrayed in visceral, physical terms, reflecting the speaker's deep connection to these phantoms of the past. Through her stark, unsettling imagery, Sexton delves into themes of identity, gender, and the haunting nature of memory and loss.

The poem begins by introducing the idea that "some ghosts are women," immediately grounding these apparitions in a tangible, gendered reality. These female ghosts are described as having "breasts as limp as killed fish," an image that is both vivid and disquieting. The comparison to "killed fish" suggests a loss of vitality and purpose, emphasizing the lifeless, almost discarded nature of these women. They are not witches—figures traditionally associated with power and danger—but rather ghosts, spectral remnants who "move their useless arms / like forsaken servants." This portrayal evokes a sense of sorrow and abandonment, as these women are depicted as powerless and subjugated, haunting the spaces they once occupied in life.

Sexton then expands the scope of the poem, acknowledging that "not all ghosts are women." She has also encountered "fat, white-bellied men, / wearing their genitals like old rags." This description is equally disturbing, stripping these male ghosts of their dignity and vitality. The imagery of "old rags" implies decay and obsolescence, as if their once-potent masculinity has withered away into something pitiful and useless. These male ghosts, like their female counterparts, are not devils or malicious entities, but rather sad, diminished figures who continue to linger long after their time has passed.

The poem intensifies as Sexton describes one such ghost "thumping barefoot, lurching / above my bed." This ghostly presence is not just an abstract concept but an immediate, physical threat, intruding upon the speaker's personal space. The use of the word "lurching" conveys a sense of unsteadiness and unpredictability, suggesting that this ghost is not entirely in control of its movements or intentions. The intrusion of this ghost into the speaker's bed—a place of vulnerability and intimacy—heightens the sense of unease and fear.

Yet, Sexton does not stop there. She introduces another category of ghosts: "some ghosts are children." These child ghosts are described in contrasting terms, "curling like pink tea cups / on any pillow," evoking images of innocence and fragility. However, their innocence is complicated by the fact that they are not angels but ghosts, beings caught between life and death, belonging to neither realm. These child ghosts, while still retaining some semblance of their former innocence, are also connected to a darker force, "wailing / for Lucifer." The juxtaposition of "pink tea cups" and "wailing for Lucifer" creates a disturbing contrast, suggesting that even the most innocent figures can be touched by darkness and despair.

In "Ghosts," Sexton masterfully weaves together images of the living and the dead, the innocent and the corrupted, to create a poem that resonates with deep emotional and psychological tension. The ghosts in this poem are not just spirits of the dead but are also manifestations of the fears, regrets, and memories that haunt the living. They embody the remnants of past lives, relationships, and identities that refuse to be forgotten, even as they have lost their vitality and purpose.

The poem's focus on the physicality of these ghosts—their limp breasts, their ragged genitals, their curling bodies—underscores the inescapable connection between the physical and the spiritual, the living and the dead. These ghosts are not merely ethereal beings but are grounded in the physical realities of the bodies they once inhabited, making their presence all the more unsettling.

"Ghosts" is a meditation on the ways in which the past continues to haunt the present, particularly in the forms of lost or abandoned identities. The poem suggests that these ghosts, whether they are women, men, or children, are a part of us, lingering in our memories, our fears, and our subconscious. Sexton's use of vivid, unsettling imagery forces the reader to confront the reality of these ghosts, not as distant, abstract figures, but as close, intimate presences that shape our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

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