Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Linda Pastan's poem "Migraine" is an evocative and visceral portrayal of the physical and mental anguish that accompanies a severe migraine attack. Through stark, powerful imagery and a fragmented structure that mirrors the disorienting and painful experience of a migraine, the poem captures the overwhelming nature of the condition and the speaker's desperate desire for relief.

The poem begins with the speaker being "ambushed by pins and needles of light," immediately immersing the reader in the sensory onslaught characteristic of a migraine. The word "ambushed" suggests a sudden, unexpected attack, conveying the sense of being overpowered by forces beyond the speaker's control. The "pins and needles of light" evoke the sharp, stabbing sensations that often accompany migraines, particularly the visual disturbances known as auras. This opening line sets the tone for the rest of the poem, where the speaker's experience is dominated by pain and disorientation.

The poem continues to describe the various elements of the migraine: "jagged / voices... strobes..." These fragmented, staccato phrases mimic the chaotic and fractured nature of the speaker's perception during a migraine. The "jagged voices" suggest that even sound becomes sharp and painful, while "strobes" evoke the blinding, intermittent flashes of light that exacerbate the migraine's intensity. The imagery of a "sanctuary" being "taken from within" conveys the idea that the migraine invades and disrupts the speaker's mind and body, leaving no place of refuge or peace.

The speaker feels "betrayed by the fractured senses," a powerful expression of the helplessness and vulnerability that often accompany a migraine. The word "betrayed" implies that the speaker's own body and mind have turned against them, intensifying the sense of isolation and despair. The speaker "crouches on the tilting floor of / consciousness," an image that vividly captures the disorienting and unstable nature of the migraine experience. The tilting floor suggests that reality itself is unsteady, that the speaker's grip on consciousness is tenuous and precarious.

The fear that "the eggshell skull won't hold, will crack," conveys the fragility the speaker feels during a migraine. The skull, normally a protective barrier, is imagined as an eggshell—delicate, easily broken—heightening the sense of imminent danger. The image of the "lid" being "tightened another implacable inch" suggests the relentless pressure and constriction that migraines often bring, as if the speaker's head is being squeezed and compressed, with no relief in sight.

In the midst of this pain, the speaker expresses a willingness to "banish every blessing"—all the positive and beautiful things in life—just for a moment of relief. The "shooting / stars... the future... all brilliant / excitations" are described as "blessings" that the speaker would forsake in exchange for "silence or sleep or the cotton wool of the perfected dark." This trade-off highlights the desperation of the speaker's situation, where even the most cherished aspects of life are outweighed by the need for escape from pain. The "cotton wool of the perfected dark" suggests a longing for complete sensory deprivation, a state of calm and quiet where the agony of the migraine can no longer reach the speaker.

"Migraine" is a deeply affecting poem that captures the all-consuming nature of severe pain and the profound impact it has on the sufferer’s perception and emotions. Through her use of vivid, disjointed imagery and a structure that reflects the disarray of the speaker's mind, Pastan effectively conveys the sense of being trapped within one's own body, at the mercy of an overwhelming force. The poem’s exploration of the tension between the desire for relief and the sacrifice of life's joys offers a poignant commentary on the cost of chronic pain and the lengths to which one might go to find peace.

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