Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Jitterbug" by Kevin Young is a vivid exploration of yearning and sensory experience that delves into the realm of desire, both emotional and physical. Young employs everyday language and common experiences to talk about a kind of hunger that's far from ordinary. Through skillful imagery and deliberate structuring, the poem addresses themes of longing, fulfillment, and the transformative power of intimate relationships.

The poem opens with a sense of dissatisfaction, as the speaker finds that "nothing sounds good / to eat." The specificity of "ribs," "veggie burgers," and "meat & twos" is especially noteworthy here. These are comfort foods, yet none of them can comfort the speaker. The localized mention of "the cobbler in Normaltown Cafe" grounds the poem in a specific time and place, highlighting the speaker's emotional state against the backdrop of everyday life.

The feeling of unquenchable hunger extends to the speaker's interactions with the world, as they "drive past pickup windows, unordered." This line is loaded with meaning. On one hand, it shows the speaker's indecision, and on the other hand, it subtly hints at a sense of being adrift, a desire unfulfilled.

The poem takes a sensual turn with the lines, "only want to chew / your fingers like a child do-." The desire to chew someone's fingers is both innocent, akin to a child's teething, and deeply intimate. The simplistic language, embodied in phrases like "a child do," gives the sentiment a raw, unfiltered quality, stripping it down to its emotional core. This yearning goes beyond the physical, as indicated by the line "to taste, watch with each bite / -a breath-your body & breastses grow." Here, eating becomes a transformative act, a kind of nurturing.

The portrayal of the loved one's body growing with each bite introduces an almost mythological aspect. It's as though the speaker's desire and actions have the power to transform the object of their affection. The final lines, "as if my mouth led / to your smooth stomach," convey a deep sense of intimacy and emotional connectivity. The speaker doesn't just want to eat; they want to become a part of the loved one, to internalize them. The smooth stomach symbolizes a place of nourishment and internalization, drawing a parallel between physical hunger and emotional longing.

The poem's title, "Jitterbug," suggests a frenzied, restless movement, much like the speaker's emotional state. A jitterbug is a lively dance, and the title could be a metaphor for the dance of desire and emotional hunger that drives the speaker.

In conclusion, Kevin Young's "Jitterbug" is a compelling foray into the complexities of human emotion and physical desire. It takes the everyday experience of hunger and elevates it into an exploration of deeper emotional and physical yearnings. Through carefully crafted language and evocative imagery, the poem captures the tension between what can be easily satiated and the profound longings that defy easy fulfillment.

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...