Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Assuming the Soul Is a Bitch," Charles Olson uses stark, confrontational language to explore the nature of the soul, identity, and human purpose. With his raw, provocative phrasing, Olson challenges conventional understandings of spirituality, morality, and societal expectations. This poem captures Olson’s characteristic approach of defying categorization and pushing against normative beliefs to delve into something raw, unfiltered, and unsettling. The poem reads as a sort of anti-prayer, a deliberate subversion of traditional ideals of the soul.

Olson begins by framing the soul as a “bitch,” a derogatory term that immediately strips away any sentimentality or reverence often associated with the concept. Here, he seems to suggest that the soul is not an idealized, spiritual essence but something gritty, possibly hostile, and indifferent to human concerns. The line “That then becomes you” implies that this rough, unsentimental nature of the soul is a core aspect of individual identity. Olson urges his reader to “have no fear of anything,” embracing an existence free from conventional anxieties, whether they stem from moral, societal, or existential concerns. He emphasizes a radical form of self-assurance, a defiance against anything that might cause self-doubt.

The poem’s language—particularly phrases like “Ok a Brooklyn gun” and “Place the shot on the moon”—brings in elements of violence and ambition, suggesting a willful, almost rebellious energy. The “Brooklyn gun” may symbolize a rough, unrefined force, something powerful and unapologetic. The phrase “Place the shot on the moon” could be interpreted as a metaphor for reaching beyond limitations, a defiant act that goes against the boundaries of the everyday. In this context, Olson might be pushing back against smallness, asking the reader to embrace a boldness that aligns with his vision of the soul.

Olson’s imagery is visceral and sometimes deliberately crude, as in “Lady of my insides” and “Crash program for Mr Big who fucks all the time.” Here, Olson interweaves physical and primal language with cosmic or spiritual aspirations, hinting at the uncomfortable overlap between base desires and higher ideals. The “Lady of my insides” could be read as a reference to an inner essence, something intimate and visceral, while “Crash program for Mr Big” might suggest an obsessive drive, a compulsion to dominate or achieve without restraint. This explicit phrasing challenges any simplistic separation between the body and the soul, suggesting instead that the soul encompasses both the elevated and the primal aspects of existence.

As Olson continues, he resists categorizing the soul or reducing it to any one aspect of identity. He insists it is “Neither animal vegetable nor natural / Neither gender,” dismissing any label that society might apply to define the essence of a person. In doing so, Olson rejects the limiting structures imposed by culture, biology, and tradition. The soul, in his view, is not bound by binaries or conventional categories. This perspective aligns with Olson’s broader poetics, which often resist any fixed structure or rigid definition, instead opting for a fluid, expansive approach to language and meaning.

The rejection of “all this gab” further distances Olson from those who would try to explain or constrain the soul through discourse. He seems to dismiss the intellectualization of existence as “gab”—meaningless talk that fails to capture the rawness and ambiguity of human nature. By doing so, he aligns himself with a more primal, instinctive understanding, suggesting that words and philosophical frameworks are inadequate to express the true essence of being.

The line “Nor ma nor Pa / Nor Willy-grand / Upside” disavows familial and generational ties as defining influences on the soul. Olson rejects traditional forms of identity shaped by family heritage, suggesting that the soul transcends the roles and identities imposed by one’s lineage or upbringing. He emphasizes the autonomy of the individual, rejecting any notion of inheritance or influence that might dilute one’s essence. Olson’s soul exists beyond familial bonds or societal expectations, and his use of casual, colloquial phrasing here—such as “Willy-grand”—imparts an almost irreverent tone, as though shrugging off the weight of ancestry.

The phrase “Neither sex nor death / Nor children, except as one's own does present pride” suggests that the soul’s worth is not tied to sexuality, mortality, or even the legacy of one’s children. Olson acknowledges the pride that might come from offspring, but he swiftly distances himself from any notion of external validation. In his vision, the soul remains untouched by conventional markers of success or fulfillment. This refusal to define the soul through these terms further establishes his conception of it as something that exists beyond life’s usual structures and attachments.

Finally, Olson concludes with “Nothing but all,” a paradoxical phrase that seems to encapsulate the entirety of his exploration. By saying “Nothing but all,” Olson suggests that the soul is everything and nothing at once, a boundless, undefinable force that encompasses all aspects of existence without being limited by any of them. It is a negation of specificity, an embrace of totality, and a rejection of reductionist views of identity. This closing phrase echoes throughout the poem, affirming that the essence of a person, the soul, defies containment, existing only as an expansive, all-encompassing presence.

In "Assuming the Soul Is a Bitch," Olson offers a vision of the soul that is raw, powerful, and unapologetic. His language is deliberately abrasive, eschewing refinement in favor of an authenticity that challenges the reader to confront the soul as something wild and untamed. Olson’s refusal to define the soul through conventional categories—gender, family, morality, or societal expectation—positions it as a force beyond human comprehension. By stripping away sentimentality and embracing a vision of the soul as both everything and nothing, Olson invites a radical rethinking of identity, urging his audience to abandon fear and embrace the boundless potential within.

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