Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Anne Sexton’s "Angel of Fire and Genitals," the first part of her sequence "Angels of the Love Affair," presents a visceral and unsettling exploration of the intersections between desire, identity, and the destructive forces that shape them. The poem is rich with intense, often conflicting imagery that juxtaposes the sacred with the profane, and the elemental forces of fire and slime with the human experiences of sexuality and identity.

The poem begins with a direct address to the "Angel of Fire and Genitals," immediately invoking a being that embodies both creation and destruction, passion and pain. This angel, with its dual associations, is asked if it knows "slime," a substance that contrasts starkly with the fiery, often destructive, energy associated with the angel. The slime, described as a "green mama," is both maternal and repulsive, a force that "first forced me to sing," suggesting an origin in filth and degradation. Here, Sexton seems to be grappling with the idea that the primal, perhaps base aspects of human existence—represented by the slime—are inextricably linked to the forces that shape our desires and identities.

The reference to the latrine as a "pantomime of brown" where the speaker was "beggar" and the slime was "king" further amplifies this association with degradation and subjugation. The latrine, a place of waste, becomes a stage where roles of power and submission are acted out, with the speaker in a position of abject humility. This grotesque imagery reflects a kind of existential entrapment, where the speaker is both repulsed by and drawn to the very forces that define her existence.

The poem takes a darker turn with the mention of "The devil" who "bit me in the buttocks and took over my soul." This vivid, almost violent image suggests a loss of innocence or purity, with the devil—a symbol of evil and corruption—literally taking possession of the speaker’s soul. The bodily imagery here is stark and raw, reflecting the deep physical and spiritual impact of this encounter.

As the poem progresses, the speaker addresses the "fire woman" directly, calling upon her with a litany of associations: "you of the ancient flame, you of the Bunsen burner, you of the candle." These varied references to fire range from the elemental and primordial to the controlled and domestic, encompassing both the creative and destructive potentials of fire. The speaker challenges this fire woman, imagining what would happen if she were exposed to the opposing forces of ice, snow, and rain. The fire woman, symbolizing perhaps unbridled passion or destructive energy, would "gutter in the dark, cracking up your brain," a vivid image of mental and physical breakdown under the weight of opposing forces.

The final lines of the poem introduce the image of the "devouring gate" of the fire woman, as the sun "dies in your arms and you loosen its terrible weight." This suggests an image of ultimate destruction, where even the sun—symbol of life and energy—is consumed by the fire woman’s power. The "devouring gate" can be seen as a metaphor for the finality of death or destruction, but also perhaps as a passage through which the speaker must pass, a necessary confrontation with the destructive forces that shape her identity.

In "Angel of Fire and Genitals," Sexton explores the complex, often violent forces that shape human identity and sexuality. The poem’s imagery is intense and visceral, drawing on elemental forces to express the profound conflicts and dualities inherent in the human experience. The angel of fire, both a symbol of destructive passion and transformative energy, represents the powerful forces that both create and consume, leaving the speaker in a state of existential confrontation with the dark aspects of her own identity. The poem is a powerful meditation on the intersections of desire, destruction, and the elemental forces that shape our lives.

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