Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Birthday Sonnet" by Elinor Wylie, the speaker offers a prayer or invocation to God, asking for divine protection and guidance for a "prodigal child." The language is rich with religious and spiritual imagery, and the poem grapples with themes of purity, sanctity, and the challenges posed by the secular world. Through the form of a sonnet, the speaker petitions for the preservation of innocence and the safeguarding of the soul from earthly distractions and corruptions.

The opening line—“Take home Thy prodigal child, O Lord of Hosts!”—introduces a direct plea to God, addressing Him as the "Lord of Hosts," a title that signifies divine authority and power. The word "prodigal" refers to a child who has strayed or wandered, often used in reference to the biblical Parable of the Prodigal Son, where a son leaves his father's house only to return later after realizing his mistakes. In this context, the speaker is asking God to bring back and protect the child—likely symbolizing the speaker or a loved one—who has been exposed to the dangers of the world.

The speaker's request for divine protection is further elaborated in the next few lines: “Protect the sacred from the secular danger; / Advise her, that Thou never needst avenge her.” The "sacred" refers to the pure or spiritual aspect of the child, while "secular danger" represents the temptations and distractions of the material, worldly life. The speaker asks God to protect the child from these dangers, and also to guide her in a way that avoids the need for vengeance—suggesting a plea for divine justice and guidance without punishment. This reflects the tension between spiritual purity and the corrupting forces of the secular world.

The speaker then requests that the child’s "mind" not be "married / to man's nor ghost's / Nor holier domination's, if the costs / Of such commingling should transport or change her." Here, the speaker is asking for protection from being influenced or dominated by earthly or spiritual forces that might alter her nature. The word "marry" is used metaphorically, suggesting an attachment or union with ideas or entities that could be harmful. The concern is that such unions—whether with a man, a spirit, or any dominating force—could lead to a change in the child’s essence or identity.

The petition for protection continues with a request for defense from "familiar and stranger, / And earth's and air's contagions and rusts," which highlights the idea that both the known and unknown dangers, both physical and spiritual, pose a threat to the purity of the child. The use of "contagions and rusts" suggests a process of decay or corruption, further emphasizing the vulnerability of the sacred against the forces of entropy and harm.

The speaker further asks that the child be "instructed strictly to preserve Thy gift / And alter not its grain in atom sort." The "gift" here refers to the purity or the divine essence given to the child, and the speaker is requesting that this gift be preserved in its original, unaltered form. The reference to "grain in atom sort" emphasizes the meticulous preservation of the soul, down to its most minute detail.

In the final lines, “Angels may wed her to their ultimate hurt / And men embrace a specter in a shift / So that no drop of the pure spirit fall / Into the dust: defend Thy prodigal.” The speaker suggests that even angels, though divine beings, may cause harm by "wed[ding]" the child, and men may embrace illusions or "specters," which are fleeting and insubstantial. The desire is that no part of the "pure spirit" be lost or corrupted, that the child be protected from anything that could diminish or taint the essence of what is sacred.

“Birthday Sonnet” can be read as a prayer for spiritual protection, asking for divine care to shield the child from the perils of both the physical and metaphysical worlds. Through vivid and religious imagery, Wylie reflects on the fragile nature of purity and the importance of safeguarding it against the influences of the secular world, while also acknowledging the potential for harm from both human and supernatural forces. The speaker’s request for protection and preservation reflects the desire for a pure, uncorrupted existence, untouched by the "dust" of worldly distractions and decay. The sonnet’s plea for divine intervention suggests that in a world full of dangers—both seen and unseen—the preservation of purity is a sacred, ongoing process requiring constant vigilance and care.

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