Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Anne Sexton’s "The Moss of His Skin" is a deeply evocative and unsettling poem that explores themes of intimacy, secrecy, and the complex, often disturbing dynamics within familial relationships. Through vivid and tactile imagery, Sexton delves into the psychological terrain of a relationship between a daughter and her father, one that is fraught with both closeness and alienation.

The poem begins with a description of a physical closeness that is characterized by silence and stillness: "It was only important / to smile and hold still, / to lie down beside him / and to rest awhile." The simplicity of these actions—smiling, holding still, lying down—suggests a kind of passive acquiescence, as if the speaker is fulfilling a role that has been implicitly demanded of her. The repetition of the word "important" underscores the significance of this moment, hinting at an unspoken pressure or expectation.

The imagery of being "folded up together / as if we were silk" conveys a sense of delicate, almost luxurious intimacy, but there is also an implication of being wrapped up or contained, as if the speaker and her father are enclosed within a soft, yet constricting, bond. The idea of sinking "from the eyes of mother" and "not to talk" suggests a need for secrecy, as if what is happening must be hidden from others, particularly from the maternal figure who might otherwise intervene or judge.

The setting of the "black room" is described in terms that evoke both a protective and a claustrophobic space: "like a cave or a mouth / or an indoor belly." These metaphors suggest a return to a primal, womb-like environment, but one that is also dark and consuming. The "black room" becomes a place where normal boundaries and rules do not apply, where the speaker is swallowed up by the space and by the presence of her father.

The introduction of "daddy" in the poem brings with it a mix of innocence and menace. The speaker describes her father with a focus on physical details—his "thumbs, his fat skull, / his teeth, his hair growing / like a field or a shawl." These descriptions emphasize the father's physicality, making him seem almost larger than life, with a presence that is both comforting and overwhelming. The comparison of his hair to a "field or a shawl" suggests something that is natural and enveloping, yet the cumulative effect of these details also carries a sense of unease.

The line "I lay by the moss / of his skin until / it grew strange" marks a shift in the poem, as the initial comfort or familiarity of the father’s presence starts to take on a more alien and unsettling quality. The "moss" of his skin evokes a sense of something organic yet decaying, something that is growing but in a way that is unnatural or unhealthy. The word "strange" implies that the speaker is beginning to feel a disconnect, a realization that what once felt safe or normal is, in fact, anything but.

The speaker’s reference to her "sisters" who "will never know" introduces a sense of isolation and secrecy. The speaker is set apart by her experience, carrying the weight of something she cannot share. The act of "falling out of myself" and "pretending / that Allah will not see" suggests a psychological disassociation, as if the speaker is trying to distance herself from the reality of what is happening, and from the potential judgment of a higher power.

The final lines—"how I hold my daddy / like an old stone tree"—return to the physicality of the father, now compared to something ancient, immovable, and enduring. The "old stone tree" is a powerful image, suggesting both strength and an unyielding nature. It is something that the speaker clings to, yet it is also something that is hard, cold, and perhaps incapable of providing true warmth or comfort.

"The Moss of His Skin" is a complex and deeply layered poem that grapples with the intricacies of familial love, power, and the ways in which these relationships can blur boundaries and create profound internal conflicts. Sexton’s use of vivid, almost tactile imagery draws the reader into the emotional landscape of the poem, making the speaker’s experience both tangible and haunting. The poem leaves us with a sense of unease, as it explores the ways in which the most intimate relationships can also be the most disturbing, revealing the dark undercurrents that can exist beneath the surface of familial bonds.

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