Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Cleopatra Mathis's "Who Knows" explores the bewildering interplay of creation and destruction within the human body, reflecting on life’s fragility and the mysterious forces that govern existence. The poem juxtaposes the joys and anxieties of parenthood with the ominous specter of illness, weaving an intricate narrative about the body’s ability to both create life and harbor decay.

The poem begins with a haunting question: "Who knows where his tumor came from?" This line immediately establishes the poem’s tone of uncertainty and resignation. The speaker’s husband attempts to rationalize the inexplicable by linking his illness to their shared life and habits, such as the food they eat and the wine they drink. Yet, the search for causality only deepens the enigma, as the poem shifts to a broader contemplation of life’s unpredictable processes. The reference to "the mysterious X and Y of coupling and conception" highlights the randomness inherent in both life’s origins and its vulnerabilities.

The juxtaposition of the husband’s tumor with the birth of their child creates a stark contrast between the body’s ability to nurture life and its susceptibility to harm. The mention of "pregnancies—his headache, my nausea, CAT scan, ultrasound" blurs the boundaries between medical diagnoses and the natural progression of life, suggesting a shared physical and emotional burden. The parallel imagery of "the surgeon’s knife" and "blue blankets" emphasizes the interconnection between creation and destruction, birth and mortality.

The poem’s central focus shifts to the baby, whose cries and physical presence become a source of wonder and anxiety. The description of the baby’s voracious appetite and the speaker’s struggle to meet his needs mirrors the body’s relentless demands, whether in nurturing new life or battling disease. The baby’s "little pear thighs," "knees," and "round ineffectual feet" evoke a sense of innocence and vulnerability, while also hinting at the potential for growth and resilience.

Mathis employs rich, tactile imagery to underscore the corporeal nature of the poem’s themes. The "bluish drops" of milk in the baby’s mouth, the "plum’s decaying fruit," and the "seeds at the heart of the tree’s last apples" suggest the duality of nourishment and decay. These images evoke the cyclical processes of nature, drawing a parallel between the biological and the existential.

The poem’s exploration of illness is deeply personal yet universal, reflecting a fear of the unknown that transcends individual experience. The tumor is depicted as an alien presence, a "splinter" or "speck of affliction" that invades the body. The speaker’s musings on the origins of disease—"from where?"—convey a sense of helplessness and futility, as well as a desire for understanding. The tumor becomes a metaphor for the uncontrollable aspects of life, much like the uncontrollable wails of the baby fighting sleep.

In the final stanzas, Mathis introduces the concept of the "god cell," a metaphorical embodiment of life’s potential and its inherent risks. The "god cell" represents the dual nature of creation, capable of producing both beauty and destruction. Its howling, described as "ordinary life with its quantum leap," underscores the tension between the miraculous and the mundane, the extraordinary and the everyday.

The poem concludes with a return to the domestic sphere, where the speaker and her husband are caught in the relentless cycles of care and concern. The repetition of "we turn and turn" suggests a restless search for meaning and resolution, a reflection of life’s ongoing uncertainties. This cyclical motion mirrors the broader themes of the poem, emphasizing the interconnectedness of life’s joys and sorrows, its triumphs and tragedies.

"Who Knows" is a poignant meditation on the fragility and resilience of the human condition. Through its intricate imagery and contemplative tone, the poem captures the paradoxes of life—its capacity for both creation and destruction, its beauty and its pain. Mathis’s exploration of these themes is deeply moving, offering a nuanced perspective on the mysteries that define our existence.

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