Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Paul Muldoon's "Blissom" is a playful and intricate poem that weaves together themes of serendipity, sexuality, and the imaginative leaps of the mind. The poem is filled with rich, textured language and a series of associative jumps that highlight the complex interplay between physical experience and mental abstraction. Through its blend of humor, sensuality, and linguistic inventiveness, the poem captures a moment of intimacy that is both deeply personal and strikingly surreal.

The poem begins with a vivid image: "when Agnieszka and I lay like bride and groom in the refuse-tip / of her six-by-eight-by-six-foot bed-sitting room." This description of the setting is both intimate and unglamorous, emphasizing the confined, cluttered space in which the speaker and Agnieszka share a moment of closeness. The term "refuse-tip" suggests a place of discarded items, a space that is messy and chaotic, which contrasts with the traditional notion of a "bride and groom" in a pristine, ceremonial context. This juxtaposition sets the tone for the poem's exploration of the contrast between expectation and reality, the sacred and the profane.

The speaker then refers to himself as a "Prince of Serendip" lying "between her legs," a phrase that merges the idea of serendipity—a fortunate discovery made by accident—with the physical act of lovemaking. The reference to the "Prince of Serendip" alludes to the origins of the word "serendipity," which comes from the Persian fairy tale "The Three Princes of Serendip," where the princes make unexpected discoveries by chance. Here, the speaker’s experience of intimacy is portrayed as a serendipitous event, an unexpected and fortunate encounter.

Muldoon’s characteristic wordplay is evident in the following lines, where the speaker’s mind "would skip / from pegs to kegs to tegelmousted Tuaregs." The rapid shifts in thought—from "pegs" (perhaps clothes pegs or tent pegs) to "kegs" (barrels) to "tegelmousted Tuaregs" (likely referring to the turbaned, traditionally dressed Tuareg people of North Africa)—reflect the speaker’s wandering, imaginative mind. These associative leaps illustrate the way the speaker’s thoughts roam freely, even in the midst of a physically grounding experience. The alliteration and rhythm of these words enhance the playful tone, while the imagery invokes a sense of cultural and geographical distance from the immediate setting.

The poem's final lines shift the focus from the speaker’s mental landscape to the external world, as the speaker "peered through the skylight as if from an open tomb at those five ewe and three wether-tegs." This image introduces a pastoral element, with "ewe" (female sheep) and "wether-tegs" (castrated male lambs) grazing outside. The skylight, often a symbol of openness and a connection to the outside world, contrasts with the confined space of the bed-sitting room, suggesting a tension between enclosure and the broader, natural world.

The comparison of the skylight to an "open tomb" adds a layer of surrealism and existential reflection to the poem. The "open tomb" suggests a moment of rebirth or awakening, as if the speaker’s gaze through the skylight is a metaphorical emergence from a state of confinement or sleep. This image might also evoke a sense of mortality, hinting at the fleeting nature of the moment and the inevitable return to reality after the serendipitous encounter.

In "Blissom," Muldoon masterfully combines the physical and the mental, the sensual and the surreal, to create a vivid snapshot of an intimate moment. The poem's title, "Blissom," which refers to the act of ewes being in heat, underscores the natural, primal aspect of the experience while also playing with the notion of bliss—an intense, fleeting state of happiness. Through its inventive language, playful associations, and rich imagery, the poem invites readers to explore the intersections between the body, the mind, and the world beyond, capturing the complexity and unpredictability of human experience.

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