Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Jonathan Williams’ “The Honey Lamb” is a sharp, irreverent retelling of the myth of Ganymede, the beautiful Trojan boy abducted by Zeus and made his cupbearer. With a playful mix of bawdy humor, linguistic exuberance, and mythological subversion, the poem interrogates themes of power, desire, and the fluidity of myth itself. Williams transforms this classical tale into a contemporary commentary, combining its divine grandeur with a gritty, humanizing edge.

The poem’s opening line, “the boysick (by gadzooks thunderstruck),” immediately sets a tone of irreverence and flamboyance. The phrase “boysick” introduces the homoerotic undercurrent of the myth, while “by gadzooks thunderstruck” humorously juxtaposes archaic exclamation with the majestic violence of Zeus’ lightning bolts. The parenthetical asides and slangy diction suggest a modern, colloquial retelling of a story steeped in grandeur, stripping it of its lofty classical veneer.

Zeus is portrayed as a brash, lustful figure—“Rex Zeus, sex expert.” The mocking epithet reduces the king of gods to a bawdy caricature, emphasizing his relentless pursuit of gratification. The poem highlights Zeus’ dual nature as both divine and deeply fallible, exposing the human-like weaknesses that permeate many Greek myths. By describing Zeus “erecting temples” while “cruising the Trojan Coast,” Williams conflates his religious authority with his sexual exploits, underscoring the interplay of power and desire in mythological narratives.

The transition to action—“eagle-eyed, spies, swoops, / swishes into town”—is swift and visceral, mirroring the predatory nature of Zeus’ transformation into an eagle to abduct Ganymede. The verbs “spies, swoops, swishes” evoke motion and aggression while simultaneously adding a layer of camp and theatricality. The addition of “swishes,” a term often associated with effeminacy, queers the narrative further, presenting Zeus not as a stoic patriarch but as a flamboyant figure of excess and indulgence.

The central focus of the poem is Zeus’ contemplation of his intentions toward Ganymede, framed humorously through modern slang: “ponders, whether tis nobler to bullshit, brown or go down on that catamite cat, Kid Ganymedes.” This line distills the tension between Zeus’ divine status and his base desires. The playful use of “catamite,” an archaic term for a boy in a pederastic relationship, anchors the poem in its mythological roots while “bullshit” and “go down” inject a contemporary bluntness. The irreverence of these choices highlights the absurdity of the power dynamics at play: Zeus, the king of gods, deliberates like any mortal navigating the complexities of attraction and conquest.

Ganymede himself is described in terms that oscillate between reverence and ridicule: “mead-mover, / erstwhile eagle-scout bed-mate.” The reference to “mead-mover” acknowledges Ganymede’s role as Zeus’ cupbearer, a position of both servitude and intimacy. The playful juxtaposition of “eagle-scout” with “bed-mate” situates Ganymede within a framework of youthful idealism and vulnerability, but it also hints at exploitation. By likening Ganymede’s mythological abduction to a scouting adventure gone awry, Williams underscores the absurdity and darker undertones of this divine romance.

The poem’s language is dense with allusions and wordplay, balancing the grandeur of myth with the casual irreverence of modern speech. Williams does not shy away from the homoerotic and predatory implications of the myth but amplifies them through humor and satire. The poem’s energy lies in its refusal to idealize Zeus’ actions or Ganymede’s experience, instead exposing the dynamics of power, attraction, and agency in mythological storytelling.

In its brevity, “The Honey Lamb”  encapsulates a rich, multi-layered interpretation of the Ganymede myth. Williams draws attention to the enduring relevance of these ancient stories while recasting them in a modern, critical light. The poem’s playful irreverence allows it to explore serious themes—desire, power, and identity—without losing its wit or vitality. Through its blend of bawdy humor and incisive critique, The Honey Lamb becomes not just a retelling of a classical myth but a commentary on the timeless complexities of human (and divine) behavior.

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