Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry: Explained, TOOTHPULLER WHO WANTED TO TURN A MOUTH INTO A GRINDING MACHINE, by FRANCISCO GOMEZ DE QUEVEDO Y VILLEGAS

Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

TOOTHPULLER WHO WANTED TO TURN A MOUTH INTO A GRINDING MACHINE, by FRANCISCO GOMEZ DE QUEVEDO Y VILLEGAS Poet's Biography

In "Toothpuller Who Wanted to Turn a Mouth into a Grinding Machine," Francisco Gomez de Quevedo y Villegas creates an intriguing commentary on the practice of tooth-pulling, which can also be interpreted as a satirical take on misguided expertise. A central figure in the Spanish Golden Age, Quevedo was renowned for his incisive wit and keen observations on the human condition. This poem is no exception, extending its reach to the realm of dental care-a somewhat unusual topic for a Baroque poet.

The poem begins by addressing the toothpuller directly: "O you who eat with someone else's teeth." The idea that a dentist makes his living off the mouths of others brings an ironic twist to the profession. Quevedo uses vivid and somewhat gruesome language to describe the actions of the toothpuller, whose "gluttonous dragon fingers" disturb the very foundation of a person's mouth. It is a visceral description that reflects both the violence and the seeming recklessness of the act.

The poet continues to describe the toothpuller as someone who not only extracts teeth but seems to take perverse pleasure in doing so. This character plunges into "soup like stones/down wells," utilizing what seems like excessive force and disregard for the well-being of the patient. The humorous image of the toothpuller "diving" into a task with "grandmother's jawbones" adds an additional layer of absurdity, suggesting that the methods are outdated and primitive.

The middle section of the poem humorously personifies the objects that fall victim to the pulled teeth. A "peeling blames a mouth" and a "hazelnut explodes in brave defeat," lamenting their helpless situations. These comical moments underscore the preposterousness of the toothpuller's methods, while casting a somewhat darker shade on the overall implications.

Towards the end of the poem, the speaker suggests that the act of "relieving hurt by pulling out a tooth" could be as extreme as "pulling off your head" to rid the body of pain. This hyperbolic comparison serves to illuminate the utter extremity and absurdity of the toothpuller's actions, which perhaps represent broader forms of misapplied expertise in society.

Set against the backdrop of the Spanish Baroque period, a time when intellectual and artistic pursuits flourished but were often subject to satirical scrutiny, this poem can be seen as a critique of a society that sometimes values form over function, extreme measures over moderate ones. Quevedo uses wit, irony, and evocative language to craft a poem that serves as both a vivid character sketch and a broader social critique. His poem challenges us to consider the ways in which expertise can be both beneficial and, when misapplied, ludicrously harmful.

POET TEXT:

O you who eat with someone else's teeth,

chewing with molars, mumbling groans to us,

your gluttonous dragon fingers bite beneath

the gums, and pinch and nibble flesh and pus.

You who dissuade us from indulgent forms

of eating dive into a soup like stones

down wells; for a few crumbs, in rampant storms

you plunge in with your grandmother's jawbones.

Because of you, a peeling blames a mouth,

a hazelnut explodes in brave defeat,

its shell still boasting it a fortress bed.