Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Anne Sexton’s poem "The Farmer's Wife" is a stark and unflinching portrayal of the inner life of a woman trapped in the confines of a rural marriage that has become routine, oppressive, and devoid of genuine connection. Through vivid imagery and a deeply personal narrative, Sexton delves into the themes of loneliness, desire, and the longing for a life beyond the domestic roles that society has imposed on women. The poem captures the quiet despair of a woman who yearns for more but finds herself increasingly isolated within the bounds of her marriage.

The poem opens with a description of the couple's life in Illinois, a place where "all their acres look / like a sprouting broom factory." This metaphor suggests a sense of monotony and industrial-like repetition, a landscape devoid of beauty or inspiration, reflecting the woman's inner life. The "hodge porridge / of their country lust" introduces the idea of their physical relationship as something coarse and uninspiring, more a product of habit and necessity than of passion or love.

Sexton reveals that the wife has been "his habit" for ten years, implying that their relationship has become routine, something he turns to out of familiarity rather than affection. The use of the phrase "his habit" also suggests a sense of ownership, as if she is a part of his life that he takes for granted, much like the daily chores on the farm. The repetition of the nightly ritual—"again tonight he'll say / honey bunch let's go"—underscores the mechanical nature of their relationship. The casual, almost dismissive, term of endearment "honey bunch" contrasts with the wife's deeper, unspoken yearning for something more meaningful.

As the poem progresses, Sexton delves into the wife's inner thoughts, revealing her dissatisfaction with the limited scope of her existence. She reflects on how "there must be more to living / than this brief bright bridge / of the raucous bed," recognizing that the physical act of love, as brief and bright as it may be, fails to fulfill her deeper emotional needs. The phrase "slow braille touch of him" evokes the idea of physical intimacy as a form of communication, yet one that has become routine and uninspired. The comparison of her husband to "a heavy god grown light" suggests a loss of reverence and awe, as if the once-powerful figure in her life has become weightless, insubstantial.

Despite her dissatisfaction, the wife still desires this "old pantomime of love," though she acknowledges that it "leaves her still alone." This paradox—wanting something that ultimately isolates her—speaks to the complexity of her emotions. She is caught between her longing for connection and the painful reality that this connection has become hollow and unfulfilling. The phrase "mind's apart from him" further illustrates the growing emotional and intellectual distance between them, as she lives "her own self in her own words," finding solace in her inner life even as she resents the physical and domestic demands placed on her.

The wife's resentment is palpable as she expresses her hatred for "the sweat of the house / they keep when they finally lie / each in separate dreams." The shared responsibilities of maintaining their home become another source of frustration, a physical manifestation of the burdens she bears in the marriage. The idea of lying in "separate dreams" emphasizes the emotional chasm between them, highlighting the isolation she feels even when they are physically together.

In the poem's final lines, Sexton delves into the wife's darkest thoughts, where she wishes her husband "cripple, or poet, / or even lonely, or sometimes, / better, my lover, dead." These stark, unsettling wishes reveal the depth of her despair and the extent of her desire for an escape from the life that confines her. The mention of a poet suggests a longing for someone who could understand and articulate her inner world, while the wish for him to be crippled or dead reflects her desperation for any change, no matter how drastic, that could free her from the suffocating routine of her marriage.

"The Farmer's Wife" is a powerful exploration of the unspoken anguish and isolation that can accompany domestic life, particularly for women whose desires and aspirations are stifled by societal expectations. Sexton's portrayal of the wife is both empathetic and brutally honest, capturing the complexity of her emotions as she navigates the tension between duty and desire, love and resentment. The poem challenges the romanticized ideal of rural life and marriage, revealing the often painful reality of a woman struggling to find meaning and fulfillment within the narrow confines of her existence.

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