Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Skunk Cabbage," Mary Oliver unearths an unconventional metaphor for life and regeneration: the skunk cabbage, a plant that might be typically overlooked or even avoided due to its pungent smell. By featuring this less-than-pleasant plant in a poetic spotlight, Oliver presents a nuanced view of nature and its inherent dichotomies-death and life, decay and growth, unpleasantry and beauty.

The poem starts with a vivid description of winter transitioning into spring as "the iron rinds over / the ponds start dissolving." The language here evokes a sense of relenting, as if nature is releasing its winter armor. Then we are introduced to the "brash / turnip-hearted skunk cabbage," an ungainly plant emerging through the "chilling mud." Oliver's word choices like "brash" and "turnip-hearted" imbue the skunk cabbage with qualities akin to audacity and resilience. These words also counter the traditional imagery associated with spring, which often features more romantic and pleasing aspects like cherry blossoms and daffodils.

The poet continues by describing the odor of the skunk cabbage as "lurid" and notes that it flows "in the most / unabashed way." Rather than turning away from this, Oliver seems to revel in its unabashed nature, appreciating its role in a complex ecosystem where even an offensive smell has its purpose, attracting "into itself a continual spattering / of protein."

Oliver delves deeper, describing the plant's "rough green caves" and its "thick root nested below, stubborn / and powerful as instinct!" This line lays bare the primeval force of life that propels this plant to survive and grow. It also underscores a running theme in Oliver's work: the idea that nature's profound wisdom is not always wrapped in appealing packages.

Oliver transitions into reflection, stating, "But these are the woods you love, / where the secret name / of every death is life again." Here, the woods symbolize the totality of life experiences, both pleasurable and difficult. Oliver suggests that the trials and tribulations that mark our lives are not mere challenges but catalysts for growth and transformation.

In the concluding lines, Oliver's language shifts from the direct observation of the skunk cabbage to a more philosophical tone. She states that what enables life to continue is "not of mere turning / but of dense and scalding reenactment." Oliver is emphasizing the force and courage-expressed as "daring and brawn"-needed to confront past cycles and frozen waterfalls of life in order to renew oneself. The poem culminates in the assertion that "What blazes the trail is not necessarily pretty," a line that serves as a thematic encapsulation of the entire poem.

"Skunk Cabbage" challenges our notions of what is considered beautiful or valuable. Oliver asks the reader to look beyond superficial prettiness and see the rugged, even harsh, aspects of nature-and by extension, life-as not only necessary but also deeply transformative and meaningful. Through the lens of the skunk cabbage, a symbol of resilient and potent life, Oliver offers a lesson in finding beauty and significance in unexpected places.

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...