Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Persephone, Answering," Cleopatra Mathis reimagines the myth of Persephone with a tone of resignation and introspection, allowing the titular figure to express the enduring psychological toll of her mythological journey. Through somber and deeply symbolic language, Mathis explores themes of loss, grief, and the fractured relationship between mother and daughter, recasting the myth as an emotional landscape rather than a mere narrative.

The poem opens with the stark assertion, "The girl in me died," signaling a loss of innocence and the irrevocable transformation of Persephone. The death of the "girl" suggests not only the literal descent into the underworld but also the emotional desolation wrought by this change. Persephone’s observation, “I watched her go under,” conveys an awareness of her transformation, as if she is both the actor and the witness of her demise. This duality establishes a haunting perspective: Persephone is both herself and a stranger, an amalgam of her old and new selves, burdened by the inevitability of her circumstances.

As the poem progresses, Persephone reflects on her altered existence: "I turned back, answering the world with my dead weight." This line suggests a grim acceptance of her role, her presence now imbued with heaviness. The phrase "answering the world" implies a forced participation, as if she is compelled to engage with a life that no longer feels like her own. The mention of “a spring I could make nothing of” contrasts sharply with the typical associations of spring as a time of renewal and hope. Here, the season is disorienting, emblematic of a life cycle that Persephone finds alien and devoid of personal meaning.

The question, “What is the end of grief?” acts as the emotional fulcrum of the poem, encapsulating its existential inquiry. Grief, in this context, transcends the immediate loss of freedom or innocence and becomes a permanent state, a defining characteristic of Persephone’s identity. Her understanding of her mother, Demeter, deepens through this lens: "I knew my mother then for the first time." This realization casts Demeter’s sorrow in a new light, aligning the mother’s suffering with the daughter’s, as both women endure lives shaped by pain and deprivation.

Mathis presents Demeter not as the omnipotent goddess of the harvest but as a humanized figure, her vitality eroded by grief. The imagery of the “bright self” withering and the “soul whitening like a stem” reflects Demeter’s own transformation, her despair mirrored in the natural world’s decay. The absence of light—“no balmy light to fatten it into love”—denies the possibility of growth or renewal, reinforcing the cyclical nature of suffering.

The poem questions the very nature of love and resilience, presenting them as fraught with compromise and futility. "If blooming is what we think is love," Mathis writes, challenging the conventional idea that love must be generative and outwardly flourishing. Instead, she suggests a more nuanced, bittersweet interpretation. Demeter’s love manifests as endurance, described as making herself “into a bitter root, living for a few days of flowering.” This poignant image captures the paradox of her existence: a life of persistence, anchored in fleeting moments of joy that are all the more precious for their rarity.

The closing question, “What art is that, always holding on?” underscores the precariousness of survival in the face of relentless grief. It frames Demeter’s endurance as both a testament to maternal love and a burden borne at great cost. The use of "art" elevates her perseverance, likening it to a craft that requires immense effort, but also highlights its limitations. The act of “holding on” is portrayed as both heroic and heartbreaking, an act of defiance against the inevitable.

Through its spare yet evocative language, "Persephone, Answering" captures the weight of inherited sorrow and the quiet endurance required to navigate it. Mathis reclaims the myth, offering a perspective that is deeply personal and achingly human. In this retelling, Persephone is not merely a pawn in a divine narrative but a fully realized individual grappling with identity, loss, and the inescapable bonds of love and grief. The poem becomes a meditation on the complexities of survival and the enduring nature of maternal and filial relationships, rendering the myth timeless in its emotional resonance.

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