Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "The Erotic Philosophers," Carolyn Kizer examines the interplay between women and philosophical thought, focusing on the perspectives and biases of famous philosophers like Augustine and Kierkegaard. Kizer reflects on her own experiences as a young woman studying these philosophers, highlighting the misogyny and dismissive attitudes towards women that permeated their works.

The poem begins with Kizer drinking coffee and reading Augustine on a spring morning, a serene and ordinary setting that contrasts with the intense introspection and critique that follows. She recalls her time in school, encountering Augustine and being struck by his dismissal of women. The girls in her class, including herself, navigated this contempt by pretending not to mind, even using their sexuality to tease their professors, a subtle act of defiance against the male-dominated intellectual environment.

Kizer moves on to explore the views of Augustine and Kierkegaard, noting their shared fear and trembling before women. Augustine's struggle with "the briars of unclean desire" and Kierkegaard's terror of women highlight a deep-seated fear of female sexuality and power. Kizer points out the hypocrisy in their attitudes, as both philosophers grappled with their own desires while condemning women for being the source of temptation.

The poet delves into the personal lives of these philosophers, revealing disturbing details about their relationships with young girls. Augustine's interest in a girl about eleven and Kierkegaard's preference for a girl under sixteen illustrate a desire to control and shape malleable young minds. This Pygmalion instinct, Kizer suggests, reflects their need to dominate and mold women according to their own ideals.

Kizer acknowledges the impact these philosophers had on her and her peers, who were "swept by those psalmic cadences" and seduced by the beauty of their writing. However, she also recognizes the damaging effects of internalizing their misogynistic views. This realization leads her to abandon philosophy, a field she once majored in, due to its inherent bias against women.

The poem transitions to Kizer's present life, where she lives with a "well-trained soul" who deals with evil and error efficiently. Her own faith and spirituality are more intuitive and less structured, reflecting a shift away from the rigid intellectualism of her youth. She contrasts her husband's formal prayers with her own continuous, unthinking prayer, revealing a more personal and organic connection to spirituality.

As Kizer reads Kierkegaard in the afternoon, she reflects on his statement that "all sin begins with fear," a truth she acknowledges. She notes that by denying the erotic, Kierkegaard and Augustine brought it to the world's attention, an ironic outcome of their repression. Kierkegaard's relationship with Regina, marked by his father's fierce repression of sexuality, serves as a case study in the detrimental effects of denying one's desires.

The poem concludes with Kizer's critique of the philosophers' romantic and sexual failures. She contrasts Kierkegaard's convoluted efforts to seduce Regina with her own experience of a real Don Juan, who seduces effortlessly and without the need for elaborate schemes. This comparison highlights the difference between theoretical discussions of love and the reality of human relationships.

Kizer wraps up by acknowledging the lack of major female philosophers, a reflection of the historical exclusion of women from the intellectual sphere. Despite this, she maintains a philosophical outlook and echoes Augustine's sentiment of entering her chamber to sing songs of love. This ending emphasizes the resilience and enduring presence of women in the realm of thought and love, despite centuries of marginalization.

"The Erotic Philosophers" is a powerful meditation on the intersection of gender, philosophy, and personal experience. Kizer's nuanced critique of Augustine and Kierkegaard, combined with her own reflections, provides a rich exploration of how women navigate and challenge the intellectual legacies that have historically excluded and objectified them.