Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Anne Sexton’s poem "The Fortress" is a deeply personal and intimate meditation on motherhood, memory, and the fragility of life. Through a series of vivid and often surreal images, Sexton explores the bond between mother and child, the inevitability of change, and the ways in which we attempt to protect and preserve the ones we love. The poem is both tender and haunting, capturing the complexities of maternal love and the anxieties that accompany it.

The poem begins with a serene domestic scene: the speaker, presumably Sexton herself, is taking a nap with her daughter Linda under "pink quilted covers." The simplicity of this image conveys a sense of warmth and security, a moment of shared closeness between mother and child. The speaker holds the child’s pulse, symbolizing both physical and emotional connection, as well as the mother’s role as a protector and caretaker. Yet, this seemingly peaceful moment is tinged with an awareness of vulnerability, as the speaker reflects on the world outside their bed, where the "woods outdoors / are half asleep, / left over from summer."

Sexton’s description of the woods as "left over from summer" introduces the theme of change and the passage of time. The woods, like the promises the speaker has not kept, are remnants of a past season, suggesting a sense of loss or incompletion. The "scorned pine tree" that "waits like a fruit store / holding up bunches of tufted broccoli" further emphasizes this idea of nature in a state of suspended animation, waiting for something that may never come.

The poem’s tone shifts as the speaker presses her finger on a mole under her daughter’s left eye, a mark inherited from the speaker’s own cheek. This mole becomes a symbol of both danger and beauty, as the speaker imagines it as a spot where "a bewitched worm ate its way through our soul / in search of beauty." The inherited mole represents the passing down of both physical traits and the emotional or spiritual burdens that come with them. The image of the worm searching for beauty within the soul suggests a deep, almost painful yearning for something transcendent, a desire that is both inherited and inescapable.

As the poem continues, Sexton weaves together memories and observations, blending the past and present in a way that reflects the fluid nature of time. The leaves, fed "secretly from a pool of beet-red dye," change color with the seasons, just as life itself is marked by "terrible changes." The wind, once associated with childhood pain ("your pony tail hurt you"), becomes a metaphor for the uncontrollable forces that shape our lives. The wind "cried in your room like a wolf," a powerful image that evokes both the wildness of nature and the primal fears that accompany growing up.

The speaker’s reflections on motherhood are tinged with both love and resignation. She acknowledges that "life is not in my hands," recognizing that she cannot protect her child from the inevitable changes and challenges that life will bring. The reference to "bombs or glands" suggests the various threats, both external and internal, that may affect her child’s future. The mention of "your own child at your breast, your own house on your own land" reflects the cycle of life, where the daughter will one day take on the role of mother, facing the same anxieties and responsibilities.

Sexton’s imagery becomes even more surreal and dreamlike as the poem progresses. The bittersweet vines turning orange, the forest being "weeded" and "cured like cripples," and the underwater woods with "birches like zebra fish" all contribute to a sense of the natural world as both nurturing and chaotic. The speaker’s attempts to make sense of this world and offer reassurance to her child are limited—she can only "give you the images I know" and ask her daughter to "lie still with me and watch."

In the final lines, Sexton returns to the theme of love as the one constant in an ever-changing world. The image of the pheasant, moving "like a seal" through the mulch, with "a thick white collar" and a "beige feather that he removed / one time, from an old lady's hat," introduces a touch of whimsy and absurdity. This image, along with the laughter and touch shared between mother and child, offers a moment of connection and joy amidst the uncertainty. The poem concludes with a powerful affirmation: "I promise you love. Time will not take away that."

"The Fortress" is a beautifully crafted poem that captures the deep emotional bond between mother and child, the inevitability of change, and the ways in which we seek to protect and preserve the ones we love. Anne Sexton’s use of rich, evocative imagery and her blending of the surreal with the everyday create a poignant meditation on the complexities of love, memory, and the passage of time. Through this poem, Sexton offers a glimpse into the fortress of the heart, where love endures even as the world outside continues to change.

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