Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Gail Mazur’s "Whatever They Want" is a deeply reflective meditation on teaching, storytelling, and the complex interplay between vulnerability and authority. Through a richly detailed narrative, the poem captures the emotional exchange between teacher and students, blurring the boundaries between personal and professional, past and present, and speaker and listener. It is both an exploration of the act of sharing one’s life and a celebration of the transformative power of words, memory, and connection.

The poem begins with the speaker offering herself up to her students, declaring, “Tonight, my students can ask me anything. / I’ll tell them the story of my life, / whatever they want.” This openness sets the tone for the poem, creating an immediate sense of intimacy and vulnerability. The students’ curiosity is juxtaposed with the speaker’s willingness to reveal herself, suggesting a dynamic where personal history becomes a pedagogical tool. The classroom transforms into a space of mutual discovery, where the barriers of authority dissolve in favor of a shared exploration of human experience.

The speaker’s awareness of her own vulnerability is evident in her students’ reaction to her accent—her “broad a”—which they recognize as evidence of her fallibility. Rather than resist this perception, the speaker leans into it, embracing the humanity that her students see in her. This self-awareness deepens the emotional resonance of the poem, as the speaker acknowledges that teaching is not merely about imparting knowledge but about fostering connection through shared truths.

Mazur captures the sensory atmosphere of the Gulf region, with “traffic shimmer[ing] in the Gulf haze” and “mosquitoes incubat[ing] in the bayou,” grounding the poem in a vivid, almost tactile setting. This physicality contrasts with the intangible nature of the stories being told, highlighting the tension between the external world and the inner landscapes being explored in the classroom. The air conditioner stirring “the fine hairs / on their arms” becomes a subtle metaphor for the stirring of emotions and memories, as the act of storytelling peels back “another layer from the onion, the tearjerker.”

The speaker’s stories span a wide emotional and geographical range, transporting her students to “Maine, to the Ukraine,” and immersing them in her family’s suffering, her own romantic and medical histories, and the mundane yet poignant details of life. The students, in turn, share their own tales, offering “Texas stories” rich with regional specificity: “boots, dead fathers, shrimp boats, / malls, grackles, fire ants, ice houses, neon, / rifles, and the Holy Scriptures.” This exchange underscores the inexhaustible nature of reality, where each life, no matter how ordinary or extraordinary, contains multitudes of experience worth telling.

The speaker’s drive home becomes a moment of reflection, her surroundings—palm trees, live oaks, and taquerias—evoking a cinematic quality. This imagery suggests that the act of teaching and sharing has transported the speaker as much as it has her students, blurring the line between her own life and the stories she tells. The sense of being “in the movies” emphasizes the performative aspect of storytelling, where the mundane becomes heightened and imbued with meaning.

In the final lines, the speaker’s dreams turn to her “babies” and their “insatiable hungers,” a poignant metaphor for the students and their endless curiosity. This hunger is both literal and symbolic, representing the human desire to understand and be understood. The speaker gives them “permission to say whatever they want,” as long as their words are “true,” “bittersweet,” and “move” her. This condition highlights the transformative power of storytelling: it must be authentic, emotionally resonant, and capable of forging connection.

Mazur’s language throughout "Whatever They Want" is conversational yet deeply evocative, blending humor, tenderness, and introspection. The interplay of specific, sensory detail with broader philosophical reflections creates a rich tapestry that mirrors the complexity of the speaker’s relationship with her students and with herself. The poem’s tone is at once generous and self-critical, celebrating the act of teaching while questioning its purpose and impact.

At its core, "Whatever They Want" is a meditation on the reciprocity of storytelling and the way it creates bridges between people, allowing them to navigate the landscapes of their shared humanity. The classroom becomes a microcosm of life itself, where stories serve as the connective tissue that binds individuals to one another. Mazur’s poem is a testament to the power of vulnerability, the inexhaustible richness of personal history, and the enduring hunger for connection that defines us all.

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