Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Anne Sexton's poem "The Fury of Abandonment" is a visceral exploration of loneliness, despair, and the profound sense of isolation that can come from feeling disconnected from the world. Through stark, unsettling imagery and a raw, almost confessional tone, Sexton delves into the physical and emotional experience of abandonment, highlighting the dehumanizing effects of being left alone to confront one’s own existence.

The poem opens with a series of disturbing images that convey a world filled with suffering and neglect: "Someone lives in a cave / eating his toes," "Someone little lives under a bush / pressing an empty Coca-Cola can against / his starving bloated stomach," and "A monkey had his hands cut off / for a medical experiment / and his claws wept." These images are not only shocking but also deeply evocative of a world where pain and abandonment are pervasive. The specificity of the details—someone eating his toes, the bloated stomach, the weeping claws—adds to the horror, making the suffering tangible and inescapable.

Sexton suggests that "it is all / a matter of hands," using hands as a metaphor for connection, agency, and the ability to interact with the world. The loss or mutilation of hands in the poem symbolizes a loss of power and autonomy, leaving the individuals described in a state of helplessness and despair. This focus on hands also underscores the importance of touch, both physical and emotional, as a means of establishing bonds and creating meaning in life.

The poem then shifts to a reflection on the sweetness of touch and the love that can emerge from it: "Out of the mournful sweetness of touching / comes love / like breakfast." Sexton contrasts this potential for love with the stark reality of abandonment, where "Out of the many houses come the hands / before the abandonment of the city." The image of a "thin file of ants" emerging from bars and shops paints a picture of a depopulated, desolate city, where people once connected by their hands and daily routines have now disappeared, leaving behind only a trace of their existence.

In the latter half of the poem, Sexton turns inward, expressing her own sense of abandonment and isolation: "I've been abandoned out here / under the dry stars / with no shoes, no belt." This stark imagery conveys a sense of vulnerability, as if the speaker has been stripped of everything that once provided security or comfort. The call to "Rescue Inc.," described as "that old-fashioned hot line," goes unanswered, symbolizing the futility of seeking help in a world where no one is listening. The lack of response reinforces the speaker’s deep sense of abandonment and the futility of trying to reconnect with a world that has turned its back on her.

The poem’s focus on the body—"Left to my own lips, touch them, / my own dumb eyes, touch them, / the progression of my parts, touch them"—highlights the speaker’s attempt to find solace or meaning in her own physicality. This self-touching becomes a desperate act of self-reassurance, a way of confirming her own existence in the face of overwhelming isolation. The detailed enumeration of body parts—"nostrils, shoulders, breasts, / navel, stomach, mound, kneebone, ankle"—creates a sense of the body as fragmented, as if the speaker is trying to piece herself back together in the absence of external connection.

The speaker’s reaction to her own condition is complex, as she admits, "It makes me laugh / to see a woman in this condition." This laughter is bitter, a defense mechanism against the horror of her situation. It is a laugh tinged with irony and self-awareness, as the speaker recognizes the absurdity and tragedy of her abandonment. The laughter extends beyond the personal to encompass "America and New York City," suggesting a broader critique of society’s failure to care for its most vulnerable members. The image of "your hands are cut off / and no one answers the phone" becomes a powerful metaphor for the ways in which society abandons individuals, cutting them off from the very connections that give life meaning.

"The Fury of Abandonment" is a powerful and unsettling poem that captures the raw emotion of being left alone in a world that seems indifferent to suffering. Anne Sexton’s use of vivid imagery and a deeply personal tone makes the poem a poignant exploration of the human condition, particularly the pain of isolation and the longing for connection. The poem challenges the reader to confront the realities of abandonment, both personal and societal, and to consider the ways in which we are all complicit in the neglect of others. Through this exploration, Sexton invites us to reflect on the importance of touch, connection, and empathy in a world that too often turns away from those in need.

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