Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "J KE 6-8018," Anne Sexton crafts a powerful meditation on loss, attachment, and the inexorable nature of absence. The poem addresses an enigmatic "Black lady," which is a symbol rather than a literal person, representing something or someone integral to the speaker’s life—perhaps a telephone or another form of communication, given the title's reference to a phone number, and the recurrent imagery of dialing and communication throughout the poem. The poem unfolds as a poignant reflection on the intimate connection with this entity and the desolation that follows its departure.

The "Black lady" in the poem is depicted as a complex and multifaceted presence. She is described initially with physical imagery—"two eyes, low as tobacco," and "two washbowls"—which suggests a personification of something mechanical or functional, such as a telephone with its eyes being the dials or numbers. The "Black lady" becomes a vessel through which the speaker channels emotions, thoughts, and connections, yet remains distant and unyielding.

The poem emphasizes the transient nature of this relationship, culminating in "a hot voice, an imminence and then a death." This death is not a literal cessation of life but the inevitable conclusion of the interaction or the loss of the connection that the "Black lady" represents. The speaker is left grappling with this loss, pondering "in which crevice will you hide? What signs will remain?" The absence left behind is palpable, likened to "a drowned bat upon my shoulder," an image that evokes both weight and decay, underscoring the oppressive nature of the void.

Sexton’s imagery intensifies the sense of disorientation and helplessness as the speaker faces this loss. The poem’s lines are laden with a sense of futility—“There will be no track anymore. There will be only that peculiar waiting. There will be nothing to pick up. There will be nothing.” The repetition of "nothing" reinforces the theme of emptiness and the absence that consumes the speaker's world.

The "house" mentioned in the poem, "a house that I knew," symbolizes the familiarity and comfort of the connection with the "Black lady." However, it is described as having "a tiny heart, synthetic though it was," suggesting that this connection, while vital, was artificial or insufficient in some fundamental way. The heart’s "thin buzz-buzz" reflects the minimal yet essential life force that the connection provided—a life force that is now silent.

The speaker’s relationship with the "Black lady" is complex, marked by a deep sense of intimacy and dependency. The speaker admits, "I have inhabited you, number by number. I have pushed you in and out like a needle," suggesting a ritualistic interaction, one that was perhaps obsessive or compulsive. This interaction is portrayed as a dance, a movement both physically and emotionally binding the speaker to the "Black lady."

As the poem draws to a close, the speaker anticipates the finality of the loss, recognizing that it will bring "an absence... spreading like a white dog." The imagery of a dog that "doubles back, not knowing his name" speaks to the confusion and lack of direction that accompanies this loss. Despite this, the speaker acknowledges that they will continue to seek the connection, "dialing left to right," striving to reach something that is now unreachable.

The repeated acts of calling and dialing, even when it becomes clear that "there will be nothing," depict a relentless, almost tragic, refusal to accept the finality of loss. The speaker's determination to "dial the wound over and over" encapsulates the human tendency to revisit pain and loss, hoping for resolution or reconnection that may never come.

In the end, the "Black lady" remains elusive, a symbol of something lost and irretrievable. The speaker is left "unleashed and unheard," a poignant image of isolation and disconnection. Through this poem, Sexton explores the depths of loss and the often futile attempts to reclaim what has been irrevocably lost, capturing the anguish and persistence of the human spirit in the face of inevitable absence.

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