Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In Louise Gluck's "Fable," the poem revisits the biblical tale of Solomon's wisdom, in which two women claim a baby as their own, and the wise king proposes a horrifying solution: to cut the child in half. But Gluck takes this archetypal story and imbues it with new layers of emotional complexity, turning it into a narrative not only of maternal but also of filial love.

The original tale serves as a vehicle to highlight the wisdom of Solomon and the depths of maternal love. The mother willing to give up her child rather than see him harmed is understood to be the true mother. Gluck retains this storyline but adds a fresh twist, asking the reader to "Suppose you saw your mother torn between two daughters."

In this shift, the dynamic of the story changes dramatically. Now the focus is on the child's love for the mother, rather than the mother's love for the child. What does it mean to be a child willing to sacrifice oneself for the sake of one's mother? How does this change our understanding of love, sacrifice, and family bonds?

The poem asks us to contemplate the heartbreaking question: "what could you do to save her but be willing to destroy yourself-". This question turns the original narrative on its head. It's no longer just about identifying the true mother through her willingness to relinquish her claim to save the child's life. Now, it's also about identifying the true child through her willingness to be "destroyed" to prevent her mother's suffering.

Here, Gluck delves into the often unspoken complexities of the child-parent relationship. While the role of a parent is frequently associated with self-sacrifice, children too grapple with a deep-rooted, instinctual love that can drive them to extreme lengths for their parents' well-being. "She would know who was the rightful child, the one who couldn't bear to divide the mother," Gluck writes. In these lines, the idea of "the rightful child" gains a symmetrical counterpart to the original story's concept of the rightful mother.

Moreover, the poem's title, "Fable," adds another layer of complexity. Fables are traditionally stories that convey a moral or lesson. Here, the lesson seems ambiguous. Is it a lesson in the depth of filial love, as it is of maternal love? Is it a lesson in the sacrifices that both parents and children are willing to make for each other? Or is it a cautionary tale, warning of the devastating choices that one might have to make in the name of love?

In "Fable," Gluck takes a familiar story and refashions it into a poignant exploration of the complexities of family love. She challenges us to consider not just the lengths to which a parent's love will go, but also the sacrifices a child is willing to make. In doing so, she invites us to reflect on the nature of love itself, in all its beautiful and agonizing dimensions.

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