Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Gigolo" by Sylvia Plath paints a portrait of a man deeply enmeshed in the superficial world, which values appearance and immediate pleasure over emotional or moral depth. The poem opens with a line that sets the tone for what follows: "Pocket watch, I tick well." This metaphorical assertion not only defines the speaker as punctual and reliable but also mechanical and devoid of inner life. He is a man running on time, aware of his environment as a landscape of "lizardly crevices," hinting at the reptilian, cold-blooded nature of both his surroundings and himself.

The setting of the poem, "a palace of velvet / With windows of mirrors," conjures an air of luxury but also one of narcissism and self-obsession. Here, "one is safe," not because it offers genuine sanctuary but because "there are no family photographs," no "rings through the nose, no cries." In this hall of mirrors, one is separated from all genuine human connection and emotion. It's a place of illusion where relationships are staged and people are reflections rather than realities.

The speaker revels in the attention he garners from women, likened to "Bright fish hooks," which "Gulp at my bulk." Women, it seems, are attracted to him as fish are to bait, but he also portrays himself as the real catch, a tantalizing figure dressed in "snazzy blacks." He portrays his sexual conquests through the grotesque image of milling "a litter of breasts like jellyfish," reducing women to dismembered parts, devoid of humanity, in his unquenchable hunger for ego validation. This objectification is reinforced by his diet of "eggs" and "fish, the essentials," implying a predatory appetite not only for food but also for sexual and emotional sustenance.

The middle of the poem introduces a religious image: "The mouth of Christ / When my engine reaches the end of it." The juxtaposition of the sacred and the profane serves to amplify the moral emptiness of the speaker's life. He operates mechanically, "my engine reaches the end of it," implying that his actions have no greater purpose or significance beyond immediate gratification.

The speaker's grandiose perception of himself reaches its peak when he mentions that he turns "bitches to ripples of silver," imagining that he elevates women by merely engaging with them. However, this is another illusion; they are reduced to mere decorations in his life, "ripples of silver" on the "carpet" that rolls out before him. The poem closes with a grotesque form of self-satisfaction, "I glitter like Fontainebleu," a palace known for its opulence and grandeur. Like Fontainebleu, the speaker is all surface shine, reflecting the light but offering no warmth, a pool into which he can "tenderly / Lean and see me."

In essence, "Gigolo" explores the bleakness of a life lived for superficial pleasure and ego satisfaction. Sylvia Plath uses vivid imagery, rich metaphors, and a tone of self-obsession to paint a damning portrait of a man who represents the darker aspects of modern society's preoccupation with appearance and instant gratification. Despite the glamour and allure, there is a tragic emptiness at the heart of it all, captured in the poignant yet chilling line, "And there is no end, no end of it."

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