Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Love in Bloodline" by Sharon Olds is an intimate exploration of the physical and spiritual dimensions of a deeply personal sexual encounter. The poem captures a moment of profound connection between two lovers, intertwining themes of mortality, transcendence, and the divine. Through vivid imagery and evocative language, Olds delves into the raw, physical aspects of love and its capacity to transcend the boundaries of the mundane.

The poem opens with a striking image of blood, a powerful symbol of life and mortality. The speaker notices her own blood on her partner's leg, described as "dark and clear, that real arterial red." This vivid description emphasizes the vitality and reality of the moment, grounding the reader in the physicality of the human body. The speaker admits that she "could not even think about death" in this context, suggesting that the immediacy and intensity of the encounter push thoughts of mortality aside. The partner's smile and action of washing the blood away further contribute to the sense of tenderness and care present in the relationship.

Olds then shifts to the intimate details of their sexual experience, describing the partner's "large hard bud of your glans" in her mouth and the "dark petals of my sex" in his. The language here is both explicit and poetic, blending the sensual with the aesthetic. The imagery of flowers and petals evokes a sense of beauty and naturalness, highlighting the inherent goodness and purity in their physical union. This moment of intimacy is described as a powerful force that pushes "death... farther and farther away," a metaphor for the life-affirming power of love and connection. The speaker imagines death losing track of her, "forgetting me, losing my address," and his "palm forgetting the curve of my cheek in his hand." This personification of death suggests a conscious distancing from mortality, as if the act of love itself can ward off the inevitable.

The poem transitions to a moment of post-coital reflection, where the speaker observes her partner's lower lip, "glazed with light like liquid fire." This description conveys a sense of reverence and awe, as if the partner is illuminated by an inner divine glow. The speaker's realization, "I knew you were God and I was God," elevates their experience to a spiritual level, suggesting a transcendence of the individual self and a merging with the divine. The imagery of lying on a "dark cloud" further enhances the sense of being suspended in a transcendent state, removed from earthly concerns.

The final lines of the poem reflect on the broader implications of their actions. The speaker expresses a belief that the "goodness of all we did" will somehow manifest in the world, "find its flowering." This statement suggests a faith in the generative power of love and the positive impact it can have beyond the immediate experience. The use of the word "flowering" reinforces the imagery of growth and blossoming, symbolizing the potential for love to create beauty and goodness in the world.

"Love in Bloodline" is a deeply reflective and intimate poem that explores the intersection of physical love, mortality, and spiritual transcendence. Sharon Olds masterfully weaves together the visceral and the ethereal, capturing the transformative power of a profound emotional and physical connection. The poem celebrates the life-affirming and divine aspects of love, suggesting that true intimacy has the power to transcend the limitations of the physical world and leave a lasting, positive mark on existence. Through her evocative and precise language, Olds offers a meditation on the beauty and significance of human connection, and the enduring impact of love.

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