Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"POSSESSION" by Richard Aldington is a powerful and intense poem that delves into the depths of passionate love, exploring its all-consuming and transformative nature. The poem presents a complex interplay of joy, pain, and the inevitable intertwining of two souls in love. Aldington, known for his vivid imagery and emotional intensity, uses the poem to explore the extremes of human passion and the enduring bond it creates.

The poem begins with an intense description of the physical and emotional aspects of love. The speaker recounts holding their beloved with "joy and passion," experiencing "ecstasy sharp like pain." This imagery conveys the overwhelming and often conflicting emotions that accompany deep love – a blend of pleasure and pain, joy and agony.

The speaker describes being "Blind with your kisses, dumb with your desire," indicating a loss of self in the throes of passion. This surrender to the overwhelming power of love is further emphasized by the phrase "Shuddering at the fierce bliss of your touch." The juxtaposition of 'fierce' and 'bliss' captures the intense and consuming nature of their love.

However, the poem then shifts to a more somber and painful aspect of possession. The speaker acknowledges that they must also hold their beloved "in grief and anguish, / In the long agony of childbirth." This suggests that love is not only about the joy and ecstasy of union but also involves enduring pain and suffering together.

The themes of shame, despair, and sin are introduced as aspects of this possession, indicating the complexities and challenges that can accompany deep love. The idea that the speaker must hold their beloved "in death" further underscores the notion that their bond transcends even the finality of life.

The poem culminates in the declaration that both lovers must "possess each other utterly," suggesting a complete and irrevocable merging of their souls. This eternal bond is so strong that it challenges the traditional religious notions of heaven and hell. The speaker imagines that even if these places exist, their love would bind them together in either realm, unaffected by the judgments of others or the separation of death.

The closing lines depict other spirits recognizing the enduring power of the lovers' bond, marveling at how "the ancient love yet holds to them." This image of "two ghosts" eternally united in their love, sharing "shadowy kisses" and taking joy from each other even in the afterlife, powerfully conveys the idea of love as an unbreakable, transcendent force.

In summary, "POSSESSION" by Richard Aldington is a compelling exploration of passionate love in all its complexity. The poem vividly portrays the ecstasy, pain, and ultimate unity experienced in a deeply passionate relationship, suggesting that such love endures beyond the constraints of life and the boundaries of traditional religious beliefs. The poem is a testament to the power of love to bind two souls together in an eternal, unbreakable bond.

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