Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Still Do I Keep My Look, My Identity..." by Gwendolyn Brooks delves into the profound and intricate relationship between the body and identity, emphasizing the uniqueness and constancy of one's physical and existential presence across various circumstances of life, emotion, and change. Brooks, with her characteristic depth and insightful observation, explores how the body's "precious prescribed Pose" serves as a tangible representation of the self, maintaining its distinctiveness through every experience and expression, from the mundane to the monumental.

The poem opens with the assertion that "Each body has its art," immediately attributing to the physical form not just a biological function but an aesthetic and existential significance. This art is unique to each individual, a "prescribed Pose" that, despite the vicissitudes of emotion and circumstance—be it "passion's droll contortions, waltzes, / Or push of pain"—remains inherently and unmistakably theirs. Brooks's use of vivid imagery to describe the range of experiences that a body goes through, from the heights of passion to the depths of pain and grief, underscores the body's resilience and the permanence of its identity amidst flux.

This theme of constancy is further explored through the poem's assertion that each body's pose is "irrevocable, perpetual, / And its to keep." The repetition of possession—"its and nothing else's"—emphasizes the deep personal connection and ownership we have over our physical selves, a sentiment that transcends external conditions ("In castle or in shack. / With rags or robes."). Brooks suggests that our physical form, with all its movements and stillness, pain and pleasure, is a bastion of identity, impervious to the external judgments and changes, holding within it the essence of who we are.

Moreover, Brooks touches on the universality of this concept, highlighting that it applies "Through good, nothing, or ill," suggesting that the inherent art of our bodies is something that remains with us through every conceivable situation life might throw our way. This inherent art is not just a matter of physicality but a deeper, almost spiritual embodiment of individuality and identity.

The poem also contemplates the continuity of this bodily identity beyond life, into death. Even in death, a body reflects its unique "personal art, the look," maintaining its identity in the face of the ultimate transformation. This idea that our physical form carries our unique stamp, visible "at baseball" or "in school," and even "in death," presents a poignant reflection on the permanence of identity and the enduring legacy of the individual self.

Through "Still Do I Keep My Look, My Identity...," Brooks crafts a powerful meditation on the body as the repository and reflector of the self. She invites readers to consider the body not merely as a physical vessel but as a profound and enduring expression of identity, unique to each individual and preserved across the spectrum of life's experiences. The poem stands as a testament to the strength, resilience, and indelible nature of personal identity, celebrating the unbreakable bond between the physical and the existential in defining who we are.

Copyright (c) 2025 PoetryExplorer

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...