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THE MANDRILL, by             Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography


"The Mandrill" by Conrad Aiken is a succinct and vivid poem that humorously and somewhat sardonically explores the appearance of the mandrill, a primate known for its distinct and colorful facial features. Aiken uses this animal to playfully comment on the intersection of beauty and beastliness, as well as the absurdity inherent in the human tendency to anthropomorphize animals.

The poem opens with the line, "In the Mandrill unrefined / Beauty and Beast are well combined," immediately establishing the mandrill as a creature that embodies both elegance and raw, animalistic traits. This opening sets a tone of playful juxtaposition, suggesting that the mandrill, with its striking appearance, blurs the lines between what is traditionally considered beautiful and what is seen as beastly.

Aiken then humorously imagines the discomfort of having to confront the mandrill's face regularly, posing the rhetorical question of how one would feel "to have that face to look at in your loc[k]." This question invites the reader to consider the mandrill’s vivid and unconventional appearance from a human perspective, highlighting the absurdity of such a thought.

The poem also ponders the reactions of other jungle creatures to the mandrill's "strange feati[ures]" and "odd name." Aiken’s musings here playfully anthropomorphize the animal kingdom, attributing human-like thoughts and judgments to other animals. This anthropomorphism serves to underscore the often arbitrary nature of human categorizations and labels.

The line "But that face won't wash off with soap" humorously addresses the permanence of the mandrill's distinctive facial features, suggesting that no amount of cleaning can alter its natural appearance. This line, while light-hearted, also subtly comments on the idea of identity and the permanence of inherent traits.

The poem concludes with the lines "I fear poor Mandrill has no hope," a tongue-in-cheek expression of sympathy for the mandrill's plight of being stuck with such a face. This ending adds a layer of playful empathy to the poem, even as it maintains its humorous tone.

Overall, "The Mandrill" is a charming and witty poem that uses the unique appearance of the mandrill to explore themes of beauty, identity, and the human tendency to project our perceptions onto the natural world. Aiken's clever use of language and imagery creates a light-hearted yet thought-provoking piece that encourages readers to reflect on the diversity of beauty in the animal kingdom and the often humorous nature of human perspectives.


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