Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Swimming Pool," by Allison Joseph, masterfully captures the awkwardness, vulnerability, and yearnings of adolescence through the lens of a summer spent at a neglected public pool. The poem blends humor, sensuality, and the sting of humiliation into a poignant narrative about youthful infatuation and the desire to be noticed and validated.

From the outset, the speaker’s mother’s prohibition against entering the pool sets the stage for her role as an observer rather than a participant. The water, described as "murky green" and "dusky," symbolizes an unsafe, uninviting reality that contrasts sharply with the speaker’s vivid, romanticized imagination. This physical barrier reinforces her separation from the lifeguards she idolizes, creating a tension between her desires and her limitations.

The speaker’s fixation on the lifeguards, "tall, brown, seventeen-year-old" boys with "polished" chests and "powerful ankles," is the heart of the poem. Her admiration is earnest and tender, imbued with the naivety of a thirteen-year-old. The lifeguards, figures of strength and allure, represent an unattainable ideal of masculinity. The speaker’s own self-consciousness about her "flat-chested" and "so skinny" body underscores the gap she perceives between herself and the young men she admires. This physical and emotional distance becomes a source of both longing and self-awareness.

The poem is rich with the humor and camaraderie of adolescence. The speaker and her friends giggle over "that word"—a stand-in for the mysteries of sex and adulthood they are only beginning to grapple with. Their playful speculations about lifeguard kisses and their awkward attempts to appear older by stuffing their swimsuits with toilet paper highlight the contradictions of adolescence: a mix of innocence and curiosity, confidence and insecurity. These moments evoke a universal nostalgia for the awkwardness of growing up.

The climactic moment—when the speaker slips and falls into the pool while attempting to approach Ricky—perfectly encapsulates the vulnerability of adolescence. Her desire to impress Ricky, a lifeguard she has singled out for his "long-lashed eyes" and "chiseled stomach," ends in humiliation as the pool’s "raucous chlorine" stings her senses, and the soggy toilet paper stuffing becomes a visible, mortifying reminder of her effort to appear more mature. Ricky’s act of pulling her out is kind but devoid of the romantic acknowledgment she likely hoped for, further deepening her embarrassment.

The poem’s tone shifts in its closing lines as the speaker retreats from the pool, overwhelmed by the sting of her failure. The vivid description of her physical discomfort—"teeth chattering," "shaking water from my ears," "flinging wads of paper from my chest"—mirrors her emotional turmoil. The final image of her walking away, indifferent to whether "anyone saw" her, signifies the profound sense of alienation and self-reckoning that often accompanies moments of public embarrassment during adolescence.

"Swimming Pool" is a testament to Allison Joseph’s ability to evoke the humor and pathos of coming-of-age experiences. The poem’s attention to sensory detail—both in its descriptions of the lifeguards and the discomfort of the pool water—creates a vivid and immersive narrative. Its exploration of themes like unrequited admiration, self-consciousness, and the desire to belong resonates universally, offering readers a tender and bittersweet reflection on the awkward beauty of youth.

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