Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Rachel Hadas's poem "Fleshly Answered" navigates the intricate boundaries between the living and the dead, the changing nature of our bodies, and the marks left by our interactions with the world. Through vivid imagery and reflective questions, Hadas captures the essence of physical existence and the inevitable changes and damages that come with it.

The poem opens with an invocation of "doomed beauties" who are both companions and familiars to the speaker. This sets a tone of intimacy and shared experience, suggesting that these figures—whether they are literal or metaphorical—embody a sense of peril and allure: "your long arms braceleted with snakes of danger." The imagery of snakes, often symbols of both danger and transformation, introduces a sense of foreboding and complexity.

Hadas immediately poses a profound question: "How can we tell the living from the dead?" This question weaves through the poem, reflecting on the fine line between life and death and how it is perceived. The mention of "Puvis de Chavanne’s tall pearly figures / dressed as sturdy Spartans at the chase" reveals the fragility behind seemingly strong exteriors, as these figures turn out to be "pale paper dolls in space." This metaphor highlights the deceptive nature of appearances and the thin veneer separating robust life from lifelessness.

The inquiry deepens with "And how can we be sure that we’re alive?" Here, Hadas contemplates the certainty of our own existence, especially as our bodies undergo the inevitable process of aging. The lines "Our bodies, aging, changing, slow and stiffen. / On flesh if not yet quite inert increasingly opaque," evoke the gradual loss of vitality and transparency as we age. The body, once a clear vessel of life, becomes increasingly opaque, signaling the creeping approach of mortality.

Physical marks become a central motif in the poem, symbolizing our passage through life and the tangible evidence of our experiences. "Bite or bruise or blemish pose the questions / Where have you been? What have you been doing?" These lines suggest that our bodies are records of our interactions with the world, each mark a testament to lived experience. The poem grounds this idea in specific examples: the speaker's sister's leg, "scaled by a manic cat / nearly three years ago, still is scored and punctured," and the speaker’s own arms, scratched from picking blackberries, with the marks still visible weeks later.

Hadas concludes with a poignant reflection: "We are passing through the world. / This is some of what it does to us." This closing emphasizes the transient nature of human existence and the inevitability of physical wear and tear. The marks and changes our bodies endure are reminders of our journey through life and the impact of our experiences.

"Fleshly Answered" masterfully explores the interplay between life and death, the visible signs of our physical existence, and the deeper questions these marks provoke. Rachel Hadas uses rich, evocative language and imagery to delve into the themes of mortality, identity, and the passage of time. The poem invites readers to reflect on their own bodies as living records, bearing the imprints of encounters and experiences, and to consider the profound question of what it means to be truly alive. Through its exploration of the physical and the existential, "Fleshly Answered" offers a meditation on the human condition, the inevitability of change, and the indelible traces left by our journey through the world.

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