Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Anne Sexton's poem "The Other" delves into the concept of the double, or doppelgänger, exploring the unsettling presence of an internal adversary who both mirrors and opposes the self. This "Other" is a manifestation of the speaker's darker impulses, fears, and the aspects of their identity that they struggle to control or understand. Through vivid and often disturbing imagery, Sexton conveys the tension between the self and its shadow, highlighting the duality that exists within each person.

The poem opens with a striking image: "Under my bowels, yellow with smoke, / it waits." This line immediately introduces a sense of something lurking beneath the surface, something unhealthy or tainted ("yellow with smoke") that resides within the most intimate, internal spaces of the body. The repetition of "it waits" reinforces the idea of this presence as something patient and persistent, always lurking just beneath the surface, ready to emerge.

Sexton continues to describe this presence using a series of paradoxical relationships: "Mr. Doppelganger. My brother. My spouse. / Mr. Doppelganger. My enemy. My lover." The doppelgänger is at once familiar and foreign, a figure that embodies both the closest relationships and the deepest enmities. This duality suggests that the Other is not merely an external force but an intrinsic part of the speaker's identity—both a companion and a threat.

The poem captures moments of ordinary life— "When the child is soothed and resting on the breast," "When someone kisses someone or flushes the toilet"—but in each case, the Other intrudes, transforming these moments into something sinister or sorrowful. The Other "swallows Lysol" when the child is at peace, "sits in a ball and cries" during mundane acts, and "beats a tin drum" in the speaker's heart, disrupting any sense of normalcy or calm. These actions illustrate how the Other undermines the speaker's attempts at a peaceful, balanced life, constantly reminding them of their inner turmoil.

The repeated refrain of crying— "It cries and cries and cries"—emphasizes the pervasive and uncontrollable nature of the Other's influence. The crying is triggered by seemingly innocuous actions: putting on a cocktail dress, pricking a potato, kissing someone hello. These everyday acts are overshadowed by the Other's despair, suggesting that the speaker cannot fully enjoy or engage with life because this shadow self continually interferes.

Sexton then introduces the image of the "painted mask" that the speaker puts on to "leer at Jesus in His passion." The mask represents a false or constructed identity that the speaker uses to confront or mock the sacred, an act that causes the Other to "giggle." This moment reveals the perverse pleasure that the Other takes in subverting the speaker's genuine emotions or spirituality. The mask and the giggling suggest a disconnection from authentic experience, where the speaker is forced to adopt a persona to cope with the relentless presence of the Other.

The poem's climax comes with the declaration: "It is a thumbscrew. / Its hatred makes it clairvoyant." The thumbscrew, a device of torture, symbolizes the pain and control that the Other exerts over the speaker. The idea that the Other's hatred gives it clairvoyance suggests that this internal adversary has an uncanny ability to anticipate and exploit the speaker's weaknesses, making it even more difficult to escape its influence.

The final lines of the poem express a sense of resignation and surrender: "I can only sign over everything, / the house, the dog, the ladders, the jewels, / the soul, the family tree, the mailbox." This litany of possessions and symbols of identity that the speaker is willing to give up underscores the totality of the Other's control. The speaker's only hope for peace, "Maybe," is to relinquish everything to this internal force, acknowledging that their life is inextricably bound to this darker self.

"The Other" is a powerful exploration of the duality that exists within us all, the constant struggle between our conscious selves and the darker, often hidden aspects of our personality. Anne Sexton uses intense and unsettling imagery to depict the tension between the self and its shadow, creating a vivid portrait of internal conflict and the difficulty of living with such a pervasive, inescapable presence. The poem speaks to the complexities of identity and the ways in which our inner demons can shape and influence our lives, often in ways we cannot fully understand or control.

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