Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Anne Sexton's "The Sickness Unto Death" is a harrowing exploration of spiritual desolation and the intense personal crisis that arises from the perceived absence of God. The poem delves into themes of faith, despair, and the profound isolation that can accompany a crisis of belief. Through visceral and unsettling imagery, Sexton captures the existential anguish of a speaker who feels abandoned by God and struggles with the weight of this abandonment.

The poem begins with a stark declaration: "God went out of me." This opening sets the tone for the entire piece, suggesting an immediate and profound loss. The metaphor that follows—"as if the sea dried up like sandpaper"—conveys the severity of this departure. The sea, often a symbol of vastness and life, becomes a barren, abrasive surface, emphasizing the harshness and emptiness left in the wake of God's absence. The simile "as if the sun became a latrine" further underscores this degradation, turning something once vital and life-giving into something debased and repulsive.

As the poem progresses, the speaker describes the physical and spiritual decay that accompanies this loss. Her fingers "became stone," and her body "became a side of mutton," reducing her to something lifeless and objectified. This transformation reflects the dehumanizing effect of despair, which roams the "slaughterhouse" of her existence. The use of a slaughterhouse as a metaphor suggests a place of death and dismemberment, where hope and faith are systematically destroyed.

The mention of someone bringing the speaker oranges, "but I could not eat a one / for God was in that orange," introduces a powerful image of estrangement from the divine. The oranges, typically associated with life and vitality, become untouchable because they symbolize the presence of God—something the speaker feels unworthy or unable to engage with. This inability to partake in what is sacred or life-affirming reflects the speaker's profound sense of alienation.

The priest's visit brings no comfort. His assertion that "God was even in Hitler" is met with disbelief and rejection by the speaker. This line challenges the traditional notions of God's omnipresence and goodness, forcing the speaker to confront the terrifying idea that if God could be present in someone as evil as Hitler, then God's presence in her own life would be equally tainted. This thought further deepens her despair, as she cannot reconcile the idea of a benevolent God with the existence of evil.

The poem continues with the speaker's increasing detachment from the world around her. She does not hear "the bird sounds" or see "the speechless clouds," indicating a loss of connection to the natural world and a retreat into her inner torment. The "little white dish of [her] faith" breaks "in the crater," symbolizing the shattering of her belief and the emptiness left behind.

The speaker's repeated cry, "I've got to have something to hold on to," captures the desperation of her search for stability in a world that feels devoid of meaning. Despite being given "Bibles, crucifixes, / a yellow daisy," she cannot touch them, as she perceives herself as "a house full of bowel movement" and "a defaced altar." These metaphors of physical and spiritual filth highlight the depth of her self-loathing and the sense of being spiritually contaminated.

In her despair, the speaker turns inward, consuming herself "bite by bite." This act of self-cannibalization is a powerful image of self-destruction, where the speaker's only sustenance comes from her own body, as she is unable to find nourishment or comfort in the external world. The tears that "washed" her "wave after cowardly wave" suggest a cleansing process, but one that is ultimately insufficient to restore her faith or sense of self.

The poem's climax comes with the appearance of Jesus, who "stood over [her] looking down." His laughter as He finds the speaker "gone" adds a complex layer of ambiguity to the poem. This laughter could be interpreted as a recognition of the absurdity of the speaker's self-destruction, or as a more sinister mockery of her despair. However, the act that follows—Jesus "put[s] His mouth to mine / and gave me His air"—is an act of resuscitation, a sharing of life that brings the speaker back from the brink of annihilation.

In the poem's final lines, the speaker refers to Jesus as "My kindred, my brother," suggesting a moment of reconciliation and connection with the divine. The act of giving the "yellow daisy / to the crazy woman in the next bed" symbolizes a return to compassion and humanity, as the speaker passes on the small token of faith she had been given, sharing it with another who is also in need.

"The Sickness Unto Death" is a deeply moving and intense meditation on the crisis of faith and the search for redemption in the face of spiritual despair. Through powerful imagery and raw emotion, Anne Sexton captures the devastating impact of feeling abandoned by God and the arduous journey toward finding solace and connection once more. The poem ultimately suggests that even in the depths of despair, there is the possibility of renewal and the rediscovery of faith, albeit in unexpected and humbling forms.

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