Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Anne Sexton’s poem "Oh" delves into the existential confrontation with death, enveloped in the mundane yet chilling backdrop of a snowstorm. The poem begins with an immediate and almost oppressive atmosphere: "It is snowing and death bugs me / as stubborn as insomnia." This opening sets the tone for the rest of the poem, where the snow becomes a metaphor for the relentless and inescapable nature of death, a persistent presence that refuses to be ignored.

The snow, described as "fierce bubbles of chalk" and "little white lesions," seems to be more than just a weather condition; it is an intrusive, almost malignant force that invades the speaker’s psyche. This imagery of the snow as something invasive and harmful contrasts sharply with the usual associations of snow with purity or tranquility. Instead, in Sexton’s hands, the snow becomes a symbol of decay and death, subtly invading and marking everything it touches.

The poem’s meditation on death is personified through the mention of the "ninety year old woman who was combing / out her long white wraith hair." This image of an elderly woman, now gone and "embalmed even now," serves as a reminder of the inevitability of death. The woman’s last word, "Oh," captures the shock and finality of death, a monosyllabic utterance that encapsulates the entire emotional weight of the moment. The use of "Oh" here is poignant—it is both a recognition of death and a surrender to it.

Sexton then introduces Mrs. Death as a character, a figure that "suffers according to the digits / of my hate." This personification of death as a woman adds a layer of intimacy and animosity to the poem. The speaker seems both repelled by and drawn to this figure, expressing a desire to "lie down / with them and lift my madness / off like a wig." This imagery suggests a yearning for release, to shed the burden of madness and perhaps find some solace in the embrace of death, lying "outside in a room of wool / and let the snow cover me."

The repetition of "Oh" throughout the poem becomes a refrain, a sound that captures the speaker’s confrontation with mortality. It’s an expression of both surprise and resignation, a word that encapsulates the entirety of the human response to death—shock, acceptance, and everything in between. The poem moves from the external scene of snow and death to the internal turmoil of the speaker, culminating in a direct and harrowing encounter with suicidal thoughts: "You suicide bitch! / I’d like to take a corkscrew / and screw out all your brains / and you’d never be back ever."

This violent imagery starkly contrasts with the earlier, quieter moments of the poem, revealing the intensity of the speaker’s despair. The act of pouring tea, typically a calm and soothing ritual, becomes intertwined with thoughts of self-destruction, highlighting the dissonance between the external world’s normalcy and the internal chaos. The closing lines of the poem return to the refrain of "Oh," now spoken by both God and the childlike self within the speaker. This repetition of "Oh" serves as a haunting conclusion, emphasizing the universality of this existential lament.

In "Oh," Anne Sexton masterfully intertwines the external and internal landscapes to explore themes of death, madness, and the human condition. The snow, persistent and invasive, mirrors the inescapable presence of death in the speaker’s mind. The refrain of "Oh" acts as a bridge between these two worlds, capturing the speaker’s profound sense of helplessness and resignation. Ultimately, the poem is a powerful meditation on the inevitability of death and the quiet, persistent ways it infiltrates our lives, as unyielding as the snow itself.

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