Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

John Updike's poem "Dea Ex Machina" utilizes wit and playful language to explore the intersection of human beauty and mechanical efficiency. The title itself, a twist on "deus ex machina," implies a goddess emerging from a machine, setting the tone for a poem that compares a loved one to a well-designed piece of architecture or machinery.

Updike begins with an epigraph from David Angus that links physical attractiveness to biological efficiency, suggesting that beauty and functionality are intertwined. The poem then whimsically compares the speaker's love to a "Machine for living," a phrase famously used by architect Mies van der Rohe to describe houses. This metaphor extends throughout the poem as the woman’s body is likened to various mechanical components, emphasizing precision and design.

Each stanza of the poem details different parts of the woman's body, likening them to mechanical elements:

- Her shoulders are compared to "bevelled gears," suggesting smooth and interlocking movements.

- Her jaw is described as being able to "hinge behind her ears," highlighting a sleek, functional design.

- Her hips and knees are compared to "ball-and-socket joints" and feature patellas that point "in just the right direction," indicating both aesthetic appeal and optimal mechanical function.

The playful tone continues with her fingertips being likened to a "digital computer," enhancing the idea of precision and modernity. The poem concludes by affirming that the woman couldn't be "a millimeter cuter," using the language of measurement to underscore the theme of perfect design.

Through this unique blend of romantic admiration and mechanical metaphor, Updike celebrates the beauty of human form by illustrating it through the lens of engineering and design. The poem is both a love ode and a humorous, imaginative look at how human attractiveness might be viewed through the pragmatic, exacting eyes of a designer or an engineer. This blending of themes invites the reader to appreciate the human body not just for its aesthetic qualities but also for its functional perfection.

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