Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Wallace Stevens’ “The Worms at Heaven’s Gate” is a macabre meditation on mortality and the disintegration of the human body after death. Drawing its title from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, where "worms" metaphorically claim the deceased, the poem juxtaposes this grim imagery with an almost reverent disassembly of beauty. Stevens navigates the tension between the corporeal and the transcendent, dismantling both the physical body and the myths surrounding it.

The name "Badroulbadour," borrowed from One Thousand and One Nights, introduces an element of exoticism and myth. Badroulbadour, a figure of immense beauty, here serves as a universal symbol of human allure and vitality. Stevens, however, removes her from the realm of myth and places her within the stark realities of decay. By doing so, he draws attention to the inevitable physicality of all beings, even those idealized in legend.

The poem begins with a striking declaration: “Out of the tomb we bring Badroulbadour.” This line encapsulates both the act of exhumation and the poetic resurrection of her image. The "we," presumably the worms, act as both destroyers and preservers, carrying her within their bellies. The grotesque notion of the worms as her "chariot" underscores the poem?s central irony: the worms dismantle her physical form while simultaneously enshrining her as an object of contemplation.

Through a meticulous inventory of body parts, Stevens performs a symbolic autopsy of Badroulbadour. Each feature—eye, lashes, cheek, hand, lips—is described with a detached precision. These elements are not celebrated for their intrinsic beauty but are reduced to their material essence. The repetition of "Here is" and "Here are" lends a ritualistic quality to this disassembly, as if cataloging her remains is an act of reverence or a eulogy for the body. Yet, the clinical tone strips away the mystique of beauty, revealing the fragility and transience of physical form.

The worms, as agents of decomposition, serve as a metaphor for time and nature. Their role in breaking down the body underscores the natural cycle of decay and renewal. However, Stevens imbues their actions with an almost artistic quality. By consuming and "bringing" Badroulbadour out of the tomb, they metaphorically recreate her, transforming her from flesh into an abstract representation. This process mirrors the poet?s own endeavor to reimagine her through language, suggesting a parallel between the worms? disassembly and the poet?s reconstruction.

The fragmented form of the poem mirrors its thematic content. The repeated lines and broken syntax evoke a sense of incompleteness, reflecting the partial and fractured nature of memory and identity after death. The disjointed rhythm also mimics the worms’ methodical yet disorganized consumption of the body, creating a visceral connection between form and content.

Stevens’ treatment of Badroulbadour’s body challenges traditional notions of beauty and immortality. By focusing on the physical disintegration of her form, he denies her the idealized eternity often granted to mythical figures. Instead, she becomes a symbol of human vulnerability and the inevitability of decay. Yet, in her disassembly, she is also immortalized. The detailed description of her features, even as they are reduced to mere components, ensures her continued presence within the poetic imagination.

The final lines return to the refrain, “Out of the tomb we bring Badroulbadour,” reinforcing the cyclical nature of life and death. The repetition suggests that while the body disintegrates, its essence—whether in memory, myth, or poetry—persists. Badroulbadour, though consumed and fragmented, is paradoxically resurrected through the worms? act of consumption and the poet’s act of creation.

“The Worms at Heaven’s Gate” is a poignant exploration of mortality, beauty, and the interplay between destruction and preservation. Stevens confronts the discomforting realities of death while finding a strange transcendence in the process of decay. By dismantling the body and reconstructing it in verse, he invites readers to consider the complex relationship between the physical and the eternal, the mundane and the mythical. The poem ultimately affirms the power of art to transform even the most macabre realities into profound meditations on existence.

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