Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Brigit Pegeen Kelly’s "Botticelli?s St. Sebastian" intertwines themes of transformation, vulnerability, and transcendence, employing rich imagery to evoke both the spiritual and the physical realms. The poem meditates on the intersections of suffering, beauty, and release, drawing upon the symbolic figure of St. Sebastian as a lens through which to explore the human condition and its intimate connection with the natural world.

The poem begins with the image of a robin, its head cocked in anticipation, listening for a "change in weather." This moment of stillness, tinged with both expectation and inevitability, mirrors the themes of departure and transformation that permeate the work. The bird?s departure, described as a total embodiment of motion—"the bird throw his whole body / In the air"—reflects a relinquishing of the self, an act of surrender to forces beyond control. The field, left bereft, "at once lose[s] heart," underscoring the profound impact of absence, a motif that echoes throughout the poem.

Kelly’s depiction of the bird’s flight serves as a prelude to the exploration of St. Sebastian, whose martyrdom is emblematic of both physical suffering and spiritual ascension. The comparison between the "fine-grained" wood of the boards and the "stripped flesh" of Sebastian underscores the tension between the material and the transcendent. The wood, when pierced, "spew[s] up phrases / As curled and extravagant as Sebastian?s gaze." This imagery draws a parallel between the natural world and the human body, suggesting a shared capacity for expression, resilience, and, ultimately, transformation through suffering.

The lover’s gaze at consummation, "Lost to himself and to the world," parallels Sebastian’s rapturous expression in Botticelli’s rendering, highlighting the interplay between pain and ecstasy. The mention of the tree from which the boards arose connects Sebastian’s suffering to the natural world, grounding his spiritual experience in a corporeal reality. This duality reinforces the poem’s recurring theme of interconnectedness between the physical and the metaphysical.

Kelly’s imagery shifts to water, invoking the "lake?s heart" stirred by rain. The water’s movement, likened to a "stunned doe" retreating deeper into the woods, captures a sense of both urgency and inevitability. This image recalls the bird?s earlier departure, emphasizing the poem’s cyclical exploration of movement, loss, and renewal. The water’s closure over a "dropped stone" or a "lasting wound" evokes a sense of finality and healing, where disruptions are absorbed into a larger, continuous flow.

The closing invocation, "O, the forgotten traveller!" encapsulates the poem’s meditation on impermanence and the longing for transcendence. The phrase suggests both Sebastian’s journey as a martyr and the universal human experience of seeking meaning amidst suffering and change. The word "forgotten" underscores the ephemeral nature of existence, while "traveller" conveys a sense of purposeful movement, aligning with the poem’s exploration of transformation and release.

"Botticelli?s St. Sebastian" is a poignant meditation on the interplay between suffering and beauty, drawing upon vivid natural imagery to reflect on the transcendence of the human spirit. Through its richly layered language and evocative symbolism, the poem invites readers to contemplate the intricate connections between the physical and the spiritual, the temporal and the eternal. Kelly masterfully intertwines the natural world with the martyr’s journey, offering a vision of existence that is both deeply rooted in the earth and open to the vast, unknowable beyond.

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