Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Arsehole" by Paul Verlaine ventures into the realm of the sensual and intimate with a brazenness that challenges the conventional boundaries of poetic discourse. In a mere twelve lines, Verlaine offers a vivid exploration of an aspect of human anatomy that is rarely, if ever, celebrated in mainstream poetic traditions. The poem merges the explicit with the aesthetic, as it employs lyrical language and intricate imagery to discuss a topic considered taboo by many.

The first stanza opens with a comparison that is as delicate as it is provocative. The subject is described as "shy as a gathered eyelet," drawing attention to its vulnerable nature. The "shrinking violet" furthers this notion of shyness and timidity. However, the poem immediately veers into a contrasting image, describing the subject as a "dilating iris," alluding to its capacity for responsiveness and transformation, especially during intimate moments.

Verlaine's choice of language lends an air of reverence and awe to a subject often viewed with disdain or embarrassment. Described as "the golden treasury's privy purse," the poem bestows upon it an unexpected gravitas, elevating it to the status of something valuable and significant. The colors it exhibits are said to mirror "all the colors of a bruise," as well as "the fleck of blood in albumen," adding a layer of vulnerability and sensitivity to the portrayal.

The second part of the poem reveals a dream in which the subject becomes an instrument, "the worn mouthpiece," which the speaker reverently interacts with. The intimacy here is powerful, made all the more so by the fact that it's wrapped in musical metaphor. The notes produced plead to "love a little longer," as though driven by an insatiable hunger. This hunger is met by the speaker, who feeds this "famished mouth" his "ambergris," a substance often associated with luxury and rarity.

In a daring move, Verlaine expands the realm of what can be poetic, challenging societal norms and taboos. His choice to discuss such an intimate subject in poetic form is itself a statement, a challenge to existing mores and restrictions about what is considered beautiful, worthy, or poetic. Through this poem, Verlaine contests traditional poetic subject matter and furthers the idea that the human experience in all its facets, including its physical and sensual aspects, is deserving of lyrical expression.

In its audacity and candor, "Arsehole" defies conventional poetic norms to offer an alternative narrative, one that is unabashedly honest and unapologetically human. Verlaine, in his characteristic rebelliousness, presents a piece that is both unsettling and liberating, capturing the dichotomy of human experience in a way that is as complex as it is compelling.

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