Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Bad Brunch" by Irving Feldman portrays the emotional turbulence of a relationship through a tense Sunday morning scene. The poem reveals the internal dialogue of a woman who is overcome with insecurity and resentment, as her thoughts unravel into a confrontation with her partner. Feldman uses vivid imagery and psychological exploration to craft a narrative that touches on themes of self-worth, societal expectations, and intimacy.

The poem opens with a rhetorical question that immediately sets the tone: "What got them started hardly mattered, did it?" By dismissing the initial cause of tension, the poem highlights that the root of their conflict lies deeper. The setting, "Sunday, endless, awful Sunday," captures the malaise and tension of a day meant for relaxation but often filled with anxiety.

The woman's discontent is sparked by seeing a "porky, dorky friend of hers" in a bridal announcement in the Sunday supplement. The friend’s photograph shows her "looking just too hopefully happy." This image triggers the woman’s insecurities and questions about her own life, causing her to gnaw at her lip as she thinks, "So, what have I got? And is it what I want?"

Feldman describes how the friend’s wedding dress "might be set off by legible ruffs of printer's ink offset from the facing page." This imagery connects the woman's internal turmoil to the physical presence of the newspaper, suggesting that the ink stains the reality of her friend's joy. The poem continues to unravel her mounting frustration: "she could soothe one sting only with another, and only then if she kept completely still." Here, Feldman captures the contradictory nature of emotional pain and self-comfort, suggesting that her resentment becomes a form of self-punishment.

Her partner remains oblivious, rustling the newspaper and "clearing his throat, breathing loud," which only aggravates her further. She reflects on the "perfect day she ludicrously had planned," but now that day seems "botched, embittered, ruined, hideous, lost." Feldman portrays the woman’s thoughts in stark, bitter terms, emphasizing the gap between her expectations and reality.

The poem reveals her internal criticism of her partner: "He seemed actually to prefer it this way, / deferring, shilly-shallying, noncommittal." The woman's perception of his indecisiveness intensifies her frustration, leading her to believe that "absence of structure, chaos, is sign and origin of corruption." This moment reflects her desire for control and certainty in a relationship, which she feels is slipping away.

The woman's judgment becomes more severe as she asks herself, "Is he corrupt?" and if so, "mustn't I be tainted, too?" Feldman uses the metaphor of Bluebeard's wife being "a little aqua around the gills" to convey her fear of complicity. Her mounting anger leads her to question her own identity: "Did he know her? / And could she any longer say she knew herself?"

The climax of the poem arrives when she considers, "Something here had gone badly, badly wrong." Her partner's moustache becomes a symbol of a boundary crossed, as she realizes, "That moustache was one fine line she should not have crossed." The poem then shifts to the partner’s perspective, capturing his confusion and alarm: "Alarms sent his alpha waves scrambling. / His adrenaline got right up on its toes."

He is caught off guard, "smack in full reverie," as his partner's mood disrupts his thoughts. The poem closes with a sudden interruption of his own preoccupations: "Ball scores stopped their calibration of glory." The juxtaposition between her turmoil and his casual interest in sports underscores the disconnect in their relationship.

Structurally, "Bad Brunch" is written in free verse, reflecting the disordered flow of thoughts and emotions. Feldman's use of enjambment and varied line lengths creates a conversational rhythm, emphasizing the internal monologue of the woman. The language is rich with metaphor and psychological insight, revealing the characters' complexities and inner conflicts.

Overall, "Bad Brunch" is a vivid exploration of intimacy and resentment in a relationship. Feldman captures the fragility of human emotions and the impact of societal expectations on personal happiness. The poem’s tense Sunday morning scene becomes a microcosm of the struggles between self-worth, love, and the desire for control in a chaotic world.

POEM TEXT:

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Beautiful_False_Things/vcM3EHWwwDsC?q=&gbpv=1&bsq=BAD%20BRUNCH#f=false

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