Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Marge Piercy's poem "Cold Head, Cold Start" vividly captures the misery and frustration of suffering from a severe head cold. With her characteristic wit and evocative imagery, Piercy transforms the mundane experience of illness into a dramatic, almost comical narrative that highlights the physical and emotional toll of feeling unwell.

The poem opens with a candid acknowledgment of the exaggeration often felt during illness: "I suppose no one has ever died of a head cold / while not fearing or fervently wishing to do so on the hour." This hyperbolic statement sets the tone for the poem, emphasizing the overwhelming nature of even minor ailments when they affect us personally. The comparison of a blocked nose to "the size of Detroit" humorously conveys the speaker's sense of being overwhelmed by their symptoms.

Piercy's use of vivid and grotesque imagery continues as she describes her mouth tasting "of moldy sneaker" and her tongue being "big as a liverwurst." These unappealing comparisons highlight the sensory distortions and discomforts associated with a head cold. The description of her throat as steaming "like a sewer" further emphasizes the unpleasantness of her condition.

The poem anthropomorphizes the illness with the "gnome of snot" who has "stuck a bicycle pump in my ear." This whimsical yet disturbing image effectively conveys the pressure and pain commonly felt in the ears during a severe cold. The speaker's self-description as "a quagmire, a slithy bog" and her exuding of "effluvia, mumbled curses, and a dropsy of wads of paper" paints a vivid picture of her miserable state, surrounded by used tissues and confined to a state of discomfort.

Piercy contrasts the speaker's condition with the lively world around her: "The world is an irritant / full of friends jumping in noisy frolic. / The damned healthy: I breathe on them." This juxtaposition of the speaker's suffering with the carefree lives of healthy individuals amplifies her sense of isolation and irritation. The act of breathing on the healthy becomes a small act of defiance, a way to share her discomfort with those who remain blissfully unaffected.

The closing line, "My germs are my only comfort," encapsulates the poem's blend of humor and pathos. It underscores the speaker's feeling of being disconnected from the healthy world and finding solace in the idea that her condition, though miserable, is something she can share with others—even if only in the form of spreading her germs.

"Cold Head, Cold Start" is a masterful portrayal of the common yet deeply personal experience of illness. Marge Piercy's use of vivid imagery, humor, and hyperbole brings the speaker's suffering to life, making the poem both relatable and entertaining. Through her evocative language, Piercy captures the essence of what it feels like to be caught in the throes of a head cold, emphasizing both the physical discomfort and the emotional frustration that accompany it.

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