Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Marge Piercy's poem "I Awake Feathered" is a vivid exploration of transformation, empowerment, and the ephemeral nature of moments of transcendence. Through its rich imagery and rhythmic flow, the poem captures the reader's imagination, inviting them to experience the narrator's metamorphosis and the subsequent sense of liberation and strength.

The poem opens with a striking image: "awake covered in feathers. / I am iridescent. I gleam / in the milky dawn." This description immediately transports the reader to a scene of awakening, not just from sleep but into a new, almost mythical state of being. The feathers and the iridescence suggest a transformation into a bird, a creature associated with freedom and flight. The "milky dawn" sets a serene and almost otherworldly backdrop, emphasizing the beauty and tranquility of this moment of change.

As the poem progresses, the imagery becomes more dynamic. "I shimmer like a rainbow / hanging in the air. / I raise my arm over my head / and the wing extends." The comparison to a rainbow adds a layer of ethereal beauty, highlighting the magical and rare nature of this transformation. The extension of the wing signifies the narrator's readiness to embrace this new form and the possibilities it holds. This act of raising an arm and extending a wing symbolizes a powerful transition from the mundane to the extraordinary.

The declaration "This morning I will take / flight, take it and use it" underscores a sense of agency and determination. The narrator is not merely experiencing this change passively but is actively engaging with it, intending to harness and utilize the newfound power of flight. This proactive stance reflects a deeper theme of empowerment and self-realization.

The poem then contemplates the temporality of this transformation: "Later perhaps I will moult, / dwindle into human / again, but my power / fills me now like music / loud and surging." The anticipation of moulting and returning to a human state introduces a poignant awareness of the fleeting nature of this experience. Yet, in this moment, the narrator is filled with a sense of power and vitality, likened to "music loud and surging." This comparison to music evokes an emotional and sensory fullness, a feeling of being alive and resonant with energy.

As the narrator takes flight, "I rise / over the house, the gardens. / I beat high into the crisp / limpid air, then float, / a kite no string controls," the poem reaches its zenith of liberation. The imagery of rising above familiar surroundings—the house and gardens—symbolizes breaking free from the constraints of everyday life. The description of floating like a "kite no string controls" conveys an ultimate freedom, untethered and boundless.

The closing lines, "It can’t last, but it shouldn’t / Pinnacles are of the moment. / I belong here right now," reflect a mature acceptance of the transient nature of peak experiences. The acknowledgment that "it can’t last" speaks to the inevitability of change and the cyclical nature of existence. However, this does not diminish the value of the present moment. On the contrary, the narrator embraces the here and now, recognizing that such moments of transcendence are meant to be fleeting and that their impermanence is part of their beauty.

"I Awake Feathered" by Marge Piercy is a celebration of transformation and the powerful yet ephemeral nature of moments when we transcend our ordinary selves. Through her evocative imagery and thoughtful reflection, Piercy captures the essence of these transformative experiences, urging readers to embrace and cherish the fleeting yet profound moments of empowerment and freedom. The poem's structure, with its flowing lines and rhythmic cadence, mirrors the fluidity and grace of flight, enhancing the reader's immersion in the narrator's extraordinary journey.

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