Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Anne Sexton’s "February 20th" is a poem that grapples with the passage of time, the lingering presence of literary figures, and the pervasive sense of mortality that colors the speaker’s reflections. Through the juxtaposition of concentration and distraction, the poem explores how the past intrudes upon the present, especially through the echoes of dead poets and the urgency of life’s fleeting moments. The poem’s repetitive structure and darkly whimsical tone underscore the speaker’s struggle to stay focused amid the overwhelming awareness of time running out.

The poem opens with the speaker’s assertion that "Concentration should be easier," immediately suggesting a tension between the desire to focus and the difficulty of doing so. The repetition of "I concentrate" throughout the poem underscores this effort, yet the speaker’s mind is continually drawn away, captivated by the imagined interactions between great literary figures. The phrase "My books hypnotize each other" personifies the texts on the speaker’s shelf, as if they are alive, engaged in an ongoing dialogue that the speaker cannot ignore.

The imagined conversations between poets are vivid and intriguing: "Jarrell tells Bishop to stare / at the spot. Tate / tells Plath she's going under." These lines suggest an interplay between poets, as if they are advising or guiding one another in a strange, posthumous collaboration. Randall Jarrell’s instruction to Elizabeth Bishop to "stare at the spot" may evoke the poet’s careful observation and meticulous attention to detail, while Allen Tate’s comment to Sylvia Plath hints at her struggles with mental illness and the darker aspects of her poetry. These imagined interactions highlight the speaker’s deep engagement with the literary world, where the voices of these poets continue to resonate long after their deaths.

As the poem progresses, T.S. Eliot is introduced, "remembers his long lost mother, / St. Louis and Sweeney who rise out of thin air." This reference to Eliot’s personal history and his famous character Sweeney suggests a connection between memory, identity, and the creative process. The mention of "Mr. Boiler Man, his mouth a mountain, / his tongue pure red, his tongue pure thunder" evokes a powerful, almost mythic figure, perhaps an embodiment of industrialization or the relentless passage of time. The repeated line "Hurry up please it's time," which echoes Eliot’s "The Waste Land," adds a sense of urgency, as if time is running out and the past is demanding attention.

The speaker’s attempt to concentrate is further disrupted as the typewriter "sinks deeper / and deeper," symbolizing the difficulty of staying present and productive. The letters "Dear Ruth, Dear John, / Dear Oscar" evoke a sense of correspondence, perhaps with loved ones or significant figures, but the reminder that they are "All dead now" brings the focus back to mortality and loss. The phrase "It’s late, / hurry up please it's time" reinforces the urgency of time slipping away, as if the speaker is racing against the inevitable.

The poem’s closing lines shift to a more personal tone, as the speaker calls out to "Max," perhaps a friend or companion, inviting him to meet at the Ritz. This invitation is tinged with both the desire for connection and the awareness of death’s proximity: "Max, surely you’ll meet me at the Ritz at five. / Hurry up somebody’s dead we’re still alive." The juxtaposition of the mundane (a meeting for drinks) with the stark reality of death underscores the tension between living in the moment and being haunted by the specter of mortality. The final line captures the essence of the poem—an urgent reminder to live while we can, even as we are constantly aware of those who have already passed on.

"February 20th" is a meditation on time, memory, and the persistent influence of the dead on the living. Sexton masterfully weaves together references to literary figures, personal reflections, and the relentless passage of time to create a poem that is both introspective and outward-looking. The repetition of "hurry up please it’s time" serves as a refrain that echoes the poem’s central theme: the fleeting nature of life and the importance of seizing the moments we have, even as we are haunted by the past and the inevitable approach of death.

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