"The Ungrateful Garden" by Carolyn Kizer is a poignant and richly layered poem that uses the myth of King Midas to explore themes of desire, disillusionment, and the inherent conflict between human ambition and nature. Kizer's depiction of Midas, the legendary king whose touch turned everything to gold, serves as a powerful allegory for the unintended consequences of greed and the ultimate futility of materialism. The poem opens with Midas observing the transformation of his physical ailments into gold: "Midas watched the golden crust / That formed over his steaming sores." This initial image sets a tone of grim irony, as the miraculous ability that Midas once viewed as a gift has become a curse. The "golden crust" symbolizes not only wealth but also a suffocating, lifeless barrier. The juxtaposition of "steaming sores" and "golden crust" underscores the paradox of Midas's situation: what he coveted for its beauty and value now overlays his suffering, adding a superficial sheen to his pain. Kizer further elaborates on Midas's internal conflict with the line, "Hugged his agues, loved his lust, / But damned to hell the out-of-doors." This couplet highlights the king's intense yet misguided attachment to his newfound power. His agues—an old term for fevers and chills—suggest ongoing physical torment, while his lust represents an insatiable greed. The "out-of-doors" becomes a hellish landscape for Midas, where the natural world, once full of vibrant life, has been transformed into a nightmarish realm of harsh, unyielding metal. The poem's second stanza vividly captures the visual assault on Midas's senses: "Where blazing motes of sun impaled / The serrid roses, metal-bright." The imagery of sunlight "impaling" the roses, now "metal-bright," conveys a sense of violent beauty and the loss of nature's soft, organic qualities. The roses, typically symbols of love and beauty, have become instruments of torment, their brightness now "scorching" Midas's retina. This inversion of the roses' traditional symbolism emphasizes the perverse consequences of Midas's wish. Midas's lament, "This gift, he'd thought, would gild his joys, / Silt up the waters of his grief," reveals his initial belief that the golden touch would bring him happiness and alleviate his sorrows. However, the reality is far different. The "wilderness of noise" created by the "heavy clang of leaf on leaf" suggests a cacophony of lifeless metal where once there was the gentle rustle of foliage. The transformation of the natural world into a "wilderness of noise" reflects the emptiness and desolation that Midas now faces. In the fourth stanza, Kizer contrasts the internal and external worlds: "Within, the golden cup is good / To lift, to sip the yellow mead. / Outside, in summer's rage, the rude / Gold thorn has made his fingers bleed." Inside, the golden cup—a symbol of luxury and indulgence—still holds its allure. But outside, the "rude / Gold thorn" inflicts physical harm, turning even the simplest pleasures of nature into sources of pain. This dichotomy underscores the isolation and disconnection Midas experiences, trapped within the opulent yet sterile confines of his palace. The poem's climax comes with Midas's realization of the true cost of his greed: "I strolled my halls in golden shift, / As ruddy as a lion's meat. / Then I rushed out to share my gift, / And golden stubble cut my feet." Here, Midas's attempt to enjoy and share his golden touch results in physical injury, symbolizing the broader harm his greed has caused. His regal attire, described as "ruddy as a lion's meat," evokes images of both wealth and blood, further emphasizing the destructive nature of his desire. In the final lines, Midas's disillusionment reaches its peak: "Dazzled with wounds, he limped away / To climb into his golden bed, / Roses, roses can betray. / 'Nature is evil,' Midas said." The betrayal by the roses—once symbols of beauty and now sources of pain—cements Midas's despair. His declaration that "Nature is evil" reflects his profound misinterpretation of the natural world's response to his unnatural power. It is not nature that is inherently evil, but the corruption of nature through his own actions that has led to his downfall. "The Ungrateful Garden" is a masterful exploration of the themes of greed, disillusionment, and the inevitable conflict between human desires and the natural world. Carolyn Kizer uses the myth of Midas to illustrate the perils of overreaching ambition and the hollow rewards of material wealth. Through vivid imagery and poignant reflections, the poem serves as a timeless cautionary tale about the true costs of our desires. |