Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Fanny Howe’s "The Law" explores themes of obedience, oppression, and the tension between external control and internal resistance. The poem presents a speaker caught within an unseen but powerful system, bound by an ambiguous yet all-encompassing law. Through spare and enigmatic lines, Howe suggests a world where agency is limited, yet dreams and interior life remain a site of personal freedom.

The opening line, "There is a law against us," immediately establishes a sense of persecution or exclusion. The plural "us" implies that the speaker is not alone in being subject to this law; it applies to a collective, an oppressed or marginalized group. Yet, rather than resist, the speaker states plainly: "I am obedient." This obedience, however, is not voluntary—it is shaped by an environment where submission is necessary for survival.

The speaker’s compliance is passive: "I only sin in my sleep / and do what is commanded by invisible officers, the useless dead, / whose wars I am fighting like an angel." These "invisible officers" may symbolize the accumulated forces of history, ideology, or societal expectations—the "useless dead" whose conflicts continue to dictate the present. The phrase "like an angel" is particularly striking, as it suggests a paradoxical role: angels are often seen as messengers of divine will, but in this case, the speaker is merely carrying out the will of an oppressive, impersonal force. There is no choice in this service; it is automatic, even unconscious.

The next statement complicates the notion of authority: "Those whom we obey do not obey: / but this is part of the law, the reason for it, and for the order / imposed by their order." Here, Howe exposes the fundamental contradiction of power structures. Those in control do not follow the same rules imposed on the obedient; their law is one of self-preservation, while those beneath it must submit. Yet, despite this injustice, the speaker expresses "gratitude": "I am grateful." This gratitude is ambiguous—does it stem from resignation, irony, or genuine acceptance?

A shift occurs in the next lines: "My red pulse has turned bilious / But I sin in my sleep and my dreams / are my purpose for living." The transformation from "red pulse" (associated with life, passion, and vitality) to "bilious" (suggesting illness, decay, or bitterness) indicates a physical and emotional toll. However, even within this weakened state, the speaker asserts a crucial form of rebellion: "I sin in my sleep." Dreams become the sole domain of resistance, the last space where autonomy exists. This idea aligns with Howe’s broader poetic concerns—her work frequently explores the liminal spaces between reality and imagination, obedience and transgression.

The defiant stance solidifies further in: "Whosoever spits on me will find me inscrutable or amused." This moment suggests a resilience that is not based on open revolt but on an inner detachment. The speaker does not respond to hostility with anger or submission but with inscrutability—a refusal to be defined by the contempt of others. "Or amused" adds another layer: amusement can be a form of power, a way of resisting humiliation through ironic detachment.

The final lines mark a poignant turn: "I am alive but dull / and only lately did I want to fight / when I sent you a message via my eyes / and before you could understand / they took you away." The speaker’s dullness—perhaps a result of prolonged submission—has only recently given way to a desire for action. The attempt to communicate resistance ("I sent you a message via my eyes") is cut short before it can be understood. The abrupt "they took you away" reinforces the power of the unnamed authorities, who silence connection before it can take root. The phrase "they were only doing their job" echoes the bureaucratic justification of oppression—violence enacted through routine, not personal malice.

Yet, even in this bleak reality, the speaker holds onto something beyond control: "the act failed to lessen my respect for nature and space." This closing assertion suggests that, despite oppression, beauty and expansiveness remain untouched. Nature and space may symbolize freedom, transcendence, or an external world beyond human power structures. Even when stripped of autonomy, the speaker retains an internal life, a respect for something larger than the law.

"The Law" is a meditation on subjugation and survival, on the ways power operates both overtly and subtly. The poem does not depict direct resistance but instead explores quiet forms of endurance: the ability to find meaning in dreams, to remain unreadable in the face of scorn, to seek connection even when communication is suppressed. Howe suggests that while external control is unavoidable, the inner self—the dreaming self, the observing self—remains a site of potential freedom.

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