Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Anne Sexton’s poem "The Earth Falls Down" is a profound exploration of blame, responsibility, and the destructive tendencies of humanity. Sexton, known for her confessional style, often delves into the darkest corners of the human psyche, and this poem is no exception. Here, she wrestles with the overwhelming forces that shape our world—weather, war, societal leaders, and even divine influence—only to arrive at the unsettling conclusion that the true culprit behind the earth's decline is humanity itself.

The poem begins with a hypothetical series of conditions under which the speaker could shift blame. The imagery is vivid and stark, painting a world frozen and harsh: "the snow like the cadaver's table," "the trees turned into knitting needles," and "the ground as hard as a frozen haddock." These metaphors evoke a sense of death, coldness, and rigidity, suggesting a world that is unyielding and indifferent. The speaker entertains the idea of blaming this inhospitable environment for the malaise that seems to permeate life.

Sexton then extends this blame to human actions and behaviors. The "hearts of strangers / striding muffled down the street" and the "dogs, every color, / sniffing each other / and pissing on the doorstep" symbolize the mundane and often crude aspects of daily existence. There is a sense of alienation and disconnection in these lines, as the speaker observes a world where individuals are isolated, their interactions reduced to instinctual acts devoid of deeper meaning.

The poem’s focus shifts to broader societal and global issues, with the speaker contemplating blaming "the war on the war" and "the bosses / and the presidents for / their unpardonable songs." Sexton critiques the repetitive and destructive nature of human conflict and the hollow rhetoric of those in power. The mention of "unpardonable songs" underscores the idea that these leaders perpetuate a cycle of harm through their words and actions, which resonate like a discordant tune that cannot be forgiven.

As the poem progresses, Sexton’s speaker continues to search for a source of blame, even considering "all the mothers and fathers of the world" who, despite their love, are implicated in the transmission of power and lessons that sustain the status quo. The metaphor of love "surrounding you like batter" suggests a suffocating, perhaps even claustrophobic, embrace, implying that even love, in its attempts to protect and nurture, can contribute to the cycle of blame and destruction.

The poem reaches its philosophical climax when the speaker considers blaming God, "He of the first opening / that pushed us all into our first mistakes." Here, Sexton touches on the theological concept of original sin—the idea that humanity’s inherent flaws stem from its very creation. However, the speaker quickly dismisses this line of thought, shifting the blame from the divine to the human: "No, I'll blame it on Man / For Man is God." This assertion encapsulates the poem’s central theme: humanity has assumed the role of a deity, wielding power over the earth with disastrous consequences.

The final lines of the poem are a powerful indictment of human consumption and greed. Man is described as "eating the earth up / like a candy bar," a striking simile that conveys the casual and voracious way in which humanity consumes natural resources without regard for the consequences. The image of a man "gulping" down the ocean suggests an insatiable hunger that threatens to devour the very planet itself. However, Sexton offers a glimmer of hope, noting that "The stars (possibly) are safe. / At least for the moment." The stars, described as "pears / that no one can reach," remain untouched by human hands—yet. This subtle shift to celestial imagery introduces a sense of the sublime, hinting at forces or realms beyond human control, even as it leaves the reader with an uneasy sense of temporariness.

In "The Earth Falls Down," Sexton confronts the reader with the uncomfortable truth that the destructive forces we might wish to blame on external factors—weather, war, leaders, even God—ultimately reside within humanity itself. Through her vivid and unsettling imagery, she compels us to reflect on our own role in the degradation of the earth, leaving us to ponder the fragile safety of the stars and the consequences of our unchecked appetites.

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