Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Linda Pastan's poem "Bess" weaves together themes of memory, identity, and the complexities of familial relationships, using the name "Bess" as a thread that connects generations of women. Through the lens of both literature and personal history, the poem explores the idea of hidden lives and the way names carry with them not just identity but also stories and legacies.

The poem begins with a reference to the poem "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes, a ballad that many young readers encounter with a sense of romantic and dramatic intensity. Pastan recalls how, at the age of twelve, she learned this poem "by breathless / heart," captivated by the character of Bess, "the landlord's black-eyed / daughter." This introduction to the name "Bess" in the context of a love story and tragic sacrifice opens up a new awareness for the speaker, as she begins to see her own mother, also named Bess, in a different light.

The mention of "my mild-eyed / mother Bess" presents a contrast to the fiery and passionate Bess in the poem, highlighting the difference between the romanticized literary figure and the real, familiar figure of the speaker's mother. Yet, this literary connection prompts the speaker to wonder about her mother's "secret past," a life that might exist beyond the confines of her role as a mother. This realization marks the speaker's first inkling that her mother is a separate individual with her own experiences, desires, and perhaps even secrets that the speaker cannot access, "except in dreams."

The poem then shifts to the present, where the name "Bess" has been "passed like a keepsake / to this newest child," the speaker's own daughter. The name, a "single sigh of a syllable," carries with it a sense of continuity and inheritance, linking the generations of women in the family. The child, "wrapped now / in the silence of sleep," represents the future, carrying the name and its associated stories into a new chapter.

In the dream the speaker enters, there is a powerful image of holding her "infant mother / in my arms." This reversal of roles—where the speaker cradles her mother as a child—highlights the deep connection between generations and the way identities blur over time. The physical resemblance between the speaker's mother and her child is noted in "the same wide cheekbones," suggesting that the legacy of both physical traits and the name itself is passed down through the family.

The name "Bess," described as "indelible as a birthmark," underscores the permanence and significance of this inherited identity. Just as a birthmark is a distinguishing feature that one carries throughout life, the name "Bess" becomes a symbol of the enduring ties between the women in the family, carrying with it the weight of history, memory, and love.

"Bess" by Linda Pastan is a poignant exploration of the connections between past, present, and future through the lens of family and inheritance. The poem reflects on how names carry with them not just identity but also the stories and experiences of those who came before us. Through the juxtaposition of literary reference and personal memory, Pastan delves into the idea that each generation is both a continuation and a new beginning, shaped by the legacies passed down through names, physical traits, and the hidden lives we imagine for those we love.

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