Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Anne Sexton's "Crossing the Atlantic" is a richly metaphorical and introspective exploration of both a literal ocean voyage and the symbolic passage through generations of familial and literary history. The poem grapples with themes of identity, inheritance, and the inexorable passage of time, as Sexton uses the crossing of the Atlantic as a metaphor for traversing the complex emotional landscapes inherited from the past.

The poem begins with an evocative description of the journey: "We sail out of season into an oyster-gray wind, / over a terrible hardness." The "oyster-gray wind" suggests a muted, cold, and somewhat foreboding atmosphere, while the "terrible hardness" of the sea implies both the physical challenge of the journey and the emotional resilience required to undertake it. The reference to Charles Dickens, who famously suffered from seasickness on his transatlantic crossings, sets a literary backdrop, linking Sexton's voyage to the experiences of those who came before her, both in literature and in life.

Sexton juxtaposes her modern journey—completed in "five" days—with Dickens' much longer and more arduous crossing, highlighting the advancements of technology and the shrinking of the world, yet also hinting at how these advancements have not necessarily eased the emotional burdens carried across generations. Wrapped "not like Caesar but like liver with bacon," Sexton portrays herself as vulnerable and uncomfortable, not the triumphant figure of Caesar but rather something more humble and exposed. The image of "burning my mouth with a wind-hot ash" suggests both physical discomfort and a self-inflicted pain, perhaps symbolic of the harsh realities she confronts on this journey.

The ship itself becomes a central metaphor in the poem. Sexton describes it as bypassing "the swells / as easily as an old woman reads a palm," blending the imagery of the natural world with the supernatural, as if the ship is guided by some ancient, inscrutable wisdom. The idea that "a field of mules lay down to die" as she looks North adds a somber, almost apocalyptic tone, hinting at the futility of resistance against the forces of nature and time.

As the poem progresses, Sexton delves deeper into the metaphorical implications of the ship and the journey. The ship, described as possibly being "a whale, / sleeping 2000 and ship's company," evokes the image of Jonah's biblical journey inside the belly of the whale—a place of transformation and introspection. This imagery of being swallowed and enclosed suggests a sense of being cut off from the world, "the way one would dig into a planet / and forget the word light." The ship becomes a microcosm, a world unto itself where the usual rules of life—light, time, space—are suspended.

Sexton reflects on her own sense of identity within this enclosed world, remarking that "Inside I have been ten girls who speak French. / They languish everywhere like bedsheets." This image of multiplicity and disarray reflects the fractured, multifaceted nature of her identity, which is shaped by the histories and expectations passed down through generations. The reference to "ten girls" suggests the different roles and personas she has inhabited, perhaps as a daughter, mother, writer, and woman, all blending and overlapping in the confined space of the ship.

The poem takes a personal turn as Sexton addresses her "Atlantic of the cracked shores," invoking the "blemished gates of Rockport and Boothbay" and the "harbor smells like the innards of animals." These references to specific locations connect the journey to her own family's history and the physical places that have shaped her life. The "Old childish Queen" who bayed at wharfs and Victorian houses represents a youthful, perhaps idealized version of herself or her ancestors, now lost or transformed by time and experience.

Sexton acknowledges the weight of her inheritance: "I have read each page of my mother's voyage. / I have read each page of her mother's voyage." This suggests a deep engagement with the stories and experiences of the women who came before her, as well as a sense of inevitability—her own life is a continuation of these voyages, both literal and metaphorical. The phrase "I have swallowed these words like bullets" conveys the intense, perhaps painful, internalization of this legacy. Yet, Sexton contrasts herself with her foremothers by noting that she has "forgotten the last guest — terror." Unlike them, she cannot simply endure the voyage passively; she is more aware, more conscious of the underlying fear and tension that accompany this crossing.

The poem's closing lines bring the imagery of the ship and the ocean to a climax. The "wake," described as "a ragged bridal veil, unexplained, / seductive, always rushing down the stairs," symbolizes the passage of time and the legacy that trails behind her, both beautiful and haunting. The wake is always just out of reach, "never detained, never enough," representing the elusive nature of the past and the impossibility of fully grasping or understanding one's heritage.

The ship "goes on / as though nothing else were happening," indifferent to the personal dramas and emotional turmoil of its passengers. This sense of inevitability and indifference is reinforced by the description of the ship "stripping [the bloodstream] clear," "ripping it, pounding, pounding," as it forces its way through the ocean, a virgin territory being conquered. The ship’s relentless motion becomes a metaphor for the unstoppable passage of time and the inexorable march of generations, each one moving forward over the "old bloodstream" of the past.

In the final exclamation, "Oh she is so quick! / This dead street never stops!" Sexton captures the relentless, unceasing nature of life and time. The "dead street" may refer to the journey's path—unchanging, inevitable, and devoid of life in the conventional sense—yet it never ceases, just as the generational journey continues, with each new traveler taking their place in the lineage.

"Crossing the Atlantic" is a powerful meditation on the intersections of personal and familial history, the passage of time, and the search for identity amidst the legacies we inherit. Sexton uses the physical journey across the ocean as a metaphor for the deeper, more challenging voyage through the self and the generations that precede us, weaving together themes of memory, continuity, and the unrelenting forces that shape our lives.

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