Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Anne Sexton’s "The Break Away" is a raw and poignant reflection on the end of a marriage, exploring the complex emotions that accompany divorce. The poem navigates the territory of loss, betrayal, and the search for identity after the dissolution of a once-binding relationship. Through vivid and often unsettling imagery, Sexton captures the pain of separation, the sense of failure, and the lingering connection that persists even after legal ties are severed.

The poem begins with the arrival of daisies "on the day of my divorce," a symbolic gesture that juxtaposes the innocence and simplicity of the flowers with the gravity of the occasion. Daisies, often associated with purity and new beginnings, here take on a more ironic tone, as they mark not a beginning but an end—a final, irrevocable break. The courtroom is described as a "cement box," likened to a "gas chamber for the infectious Jew in me," an intense and jarring metaphor that evokes themes of persecution and destruction. This comparison suggests that the divorce process feels like a form of annihilation, a stripping away of identity and humanity.

The reference to a "perhaps land, a possibly promised land / for the Jew in me" introduces the idea of an uncertain future. The speaker envisions the courtroom as a place where possibilities exist but are fraught with doubt and betrayal. The phrase "betraval room for the till-death-do-us —" cleverly plays on the traditional marriage vow, highlighting the irony that this promise of eternal union has been broken. The imagery of scissors "unlocking" and making the "now separate parts useless" emphasizes the finality of the separation, rendering both individuals ineffective in their previous roles as partners. The sun, once "crayoned-in" and full of warmth and light, now casts a shadow over the relationship’s demise.

The courtroom itself is depicted as a machine that "keeps squashing our lives" into "two cans ready for recycling," reducing the complexity of human lives and emotions to something mechanical and impersonal. The "flattened tin humans" and "tin law" represent the dehumanizing process of divorce, where emotions and memories are compressed into legal jargon and procedures. The reference to "hanging on / by my teeth as I once saw at Ringling Brothers" introduces a sense of desperation, as the speaker recalls the sheer effort and endurance required to maintain the marriage, now rendered futile.

In this "gray room," the speaker is surrounded by the key figures of the legal process—Judge, lawyer, witness—but also mentions "invisible Skeezix," a reference that suggests a feeling of invisibility or perhaps an imaginary companion to cope with the loneliness of the moment. The "other torn" who endure "the bewilderments / of their division" further emphasize the shared, yet deeply personal, experience of divorce, where individuals are left to grapple with the emotional wreckage.

The daisies, which have arrived on this day, are described with a strange, almost surreal tenderness: "They arrive like round yellow fish, / sucking with love at the coral of our love." This image blurs the line between the natural and the fantastical, as the daisies are personified as living creatures, clinging to the remnants of love that once existed. However, their fragility is underscored by the description of them as "little utero half-borns, / half killed, thin and bone soft." The daisies are not just flowers; they are symbols of the love that is now on life support, aware of their impending death yet still struggling to breathe.

As the poem progresses, Sexton reflects on the time leading up to the divorce, described as "twenty-five illicit days," a period of illicit emotions, perhaps infidelity or unspoken truths, that culminate in this final break. The sun and the moon, traditionally symbols of constancy and natural cycles, are now seen as chaotic forces—"the sun crawling inside the sheets" and "the moon spinning like a tornado / in the washbowl." These images convey a sense of disorientation and upheaval, as if the natural order has been disrupted by the emotional turmoil of the divorce.

The poem ends with the speaker reflecting on the role both partners played in the marriage, "calling ourselves TWO CAMP DIRECTORS." This closing image suggests that their relationship was something that required management, direction, and effort—an orchestrated performance rather than a natural, effortless union. The use of "TWO" in all caps emphasizes the duality and separateness that ultimately defined their relationship, despite their attempts to create something unified.

"The Break Away" is a powerful exploration of the emotional landscape of divorce. Sexton’s use of vivid, often unsettling imagery captures the pain, confusion, and sense of loss that accompanies the end of a marriage. The poem reflects on the ways in which love, once vibrant and full of life, can become fragile and fractured, leading to an inevitable break. Yet, even in the midst of this dissolution, there is a recognition of the shared history and the lingering connections that remain, however tenuous. Through this exploration, Sexton offers a deeply personal and resonant portrayal of the complexities of love, loss, and the struggle to move forward after the end of a significant relationship.

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