Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Anne Sexton’s poem "Three Green Windows" is a meditation on memory, the passage of time, and the comforting power of nature. In the poem, Sexton creates a serene, almost dreamlike atmosphere where the speaker experiences a temporary escape from the harsh realities of aging, loss, and the demands of modern life. The three green windows serve as portals into a space where the speaker reconnects with a more innocent, childlike state of being, allowing her to momentarily forget the burdens of adulthood.

The poem begins with the speaker in a half-awake state during a "Sunday nap," a time typically associated with rest and retreat from the world. This semi-conscious state sets the tone for the poem’s exploration of a space that lies between reality and dream. The "three green windows / in three different lights" suggest different perspectives or phases of life, each window offering a unique view or experience. The windows are oriented west, south, and east, symbolizing the passage of time—morning, afternoon, and evening—hinting at the cyclical nature of life.

As the speaker gazes out of these windows, she finds herself detached from the pressing concerns of reality: "I have forgotten that old friends are dying. / I have forgotten that I grow middle-aged." In this moment of stillness, the natural world outside the windows takes precedence over the usual worries and reminders of mortality. The trees outside are described as "yeasty and sensuous, / as thick as saints," emphasizing their lush, fertile presence and their ability to evoke a sense of sacredness and renewal. This imagery imbues the trees with a life force that contrasts with the decay and loss the speaker wishes to forget.

The speaker’s sense of lightness—"I'm on my bed as light as a sponge"—further underscores the dreamlike quality of the scene. This lightness suggests a release from the physical and emotional weight of life, allowing the speaker to drift into a state of near-sleep where she can reconnect with a more innocent, untouched version of the world. The forthcoming summer is personified as "my mother," a nurturing figure who "will tell me a story and keep me asleep / against her plump and fruity skin." This maternal image reinforces the idea of comfort and protection, with summer acting as a caretaker who shields the speaker from the harsher realities of life.

In this state of reverie, the speaker’s focus shifts to the natural elements outside the windows: "I see leaves — / leaves that are washed and innocent, / leaves that never knew a cellar, / born in their own green blood / like the hands of mermaids." The leaves are depicted as pure, untouched by the grime and darkness of human-made spaces like cellars. The comparison to mermaid hands adds a layer of magical realism, suggesting a connection to a mythical, untouched world where innocence and beauty prevail.

Throughout the poem, the speaker deliberately avoids thinking about the more mundane or troubling aspects of life: "I do not think of the rusty wagon on the walk. / I pay no attention to the red squirrels / that leap like machines beside the house." These images of the rusty wagon and mechanical squirrels represent the encroachment of decay and the mechanical, repetitive nature of modern existence, which the speaker consciously chooses to ignore in favor of the tranquil, organic beauty outside her windows.

The speaker's self-reflection deepens as she notes her detachment from the "real trunks of the trees / that stand beneath the windows as bulky as artichokes." Instead of focusing on the solid, tangible aspects of the trees, she is drawn to their more ephemeral, symbolic qualities. This detachment from the "real" world allows her to "turn like a giant, / secretly watching, secretly knowing, / secretly naming each elegant sea," suggesting a return to a state of omniscience or a godlike perspective where she can see and understand the world in its entirety, free from the constraints of her waking life.

The poem culminates in a declaration of the speaker’s reversion to her younger self: "I know what I know. / I am the child I was, / living the life that was mine." This return to a childlike state represents a moment of reclaiming innocence and wonder, where the complexities and responsibilities of adulthood are momentarily set aside. The final lines, "It is a time of water, a time of trees," reinforce the theme of natural cycles and the timelessness of the natural world, which provides a constant, reassuring presence amidst the flux of human life.

In "Three Green Windows," Anne Sexton captures the essence of a fleeting moment of peace and clarity, where the speaker escapes into a world of natural beauty and innocence. The poem’s imagery and tone reflect a longing for simplicity and a connection to the natural world, which stands in stark contrast to the inevitabilities of aging, loss, and the demands of modern existence. Through this temporary retreat, the speaker finds solace and a reminder of the enduring, restorative power of nature.

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