Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Anne Sexton’s poem "The Inventory of Goodbye" is a visceral and poignant exploration of the process of letting go, grappling with the pain of loss, and the complex emotions that accompany the end of a relationship. Through a mixture of stark imagery and confessional language, Sexton delves into the ways in which memories and remnants of love linger, even as the speaker attempts to discard or destroy them.

The poem begins with a list of what the speaker is left with after the relationship has ended: "a pack of letters" and "a pack of memories." These objects, symbolic of the past relationship, represent both the tangible and intangible remnants that the speaker must now confront. The idea of "cut[ting] out the eyes of both" suggests a desire to remove the parts of these memories that see and remind, as if by rendering them blind, the speaker could diminish their power to evoke pain.

Sexton uses the metaphor of a "patchwork apron" to describe how these memories and letters could be worn, pieced together like a quilt of experiences that the speaker carries with them. The apron, traditionally a domestic item, might suggest the way these memories are tied to the daily routines of life, ever-present and woven into the fabric of the speaker's existence.

The speaker contemplates various ways to rid themselves of these painful remnants: putting them in the washer or dryer to "float off like dirt," or grinding them down "the disposal" to remove the loss entirely. These domestic metaphors highlight the everyday struggle to cope with and cleanse oneself of emotional baggage. The speaker imagines that perhaps these actions could somehow clean away the hurt, reducing the memories to mere waste.

The poem continues with a bitter acknowledgment of the so-called benefits of the breakup: "No expensive phone calls. / No lengthy trips on planes in the fog." These lines express the practical relief that comes with the end of a relationship, yet the tone suggests that these "bargains" do little to soothe the deeper emotional wounds. The "odd-lot priest" who once blessed the relationship is now rendered impotent, "probably still floating on a fog pillow," a ghostly figure whose blessings are now meaningless.

The speaker's bitterness is palpable as they sit "on the spike of truth," confronting the reality of their situation. The phrase "No one to hate except the slim fish of memory" captures the frustration of being haunted by memories that slip in and out of consciousness, impossible to grasp fully yet always present. The memory of the "kiss we invented" returns with vivid detail, likened to "tongues like poems" that met, returned, and created a "fever of need." This intense recollection of intimacy contrasts sharply with the starkness of the current emotional landscape.

The speaker reflects on the material remnants of the relationship— "Laughter, maps, cassettes, touch singing its path"—which are now to be "broken and laid away in a tight strongbox." This image of a strongbox, typically used to secure valuable items, suggests that these memories are both precious and imprisoning, locked away but still capable of causing pain. The strongbox, filled with "black done in black," symbolizes the overwhelming grief and sorrow that have become so dense they can only be described in monochrome.

In a powerful and cathartic conclusion, the speaker resolves to "disembowel" the strongbox, to extract the heart and the legs of "two who were one," and set them upon a woodpile to "ignite, as I was once ignited." This act of burning is both destructive and purifying, a symbolic gesture of releasing the past and the intense emotions tied to it. The image of the fire "whirl[ing] into flame, reaching the sky" conveys both the danger and beauty of this act, as the speaker seeks to transform their pain into something powerful and elemental, making the sky "dangerous with its red."

"The Inventory of Goodbye" is a profound meditation on the aftermath of love and the difficult process of moving on. Anne Sexton masterfully captures the conflicting emotions of grief, anger, and the desire for release, using vivid and sometimes violent imagery to depict the struggle to let go of a relationship that continues to haunt the speaker. The poem ultimately suggests that while the process of saying goodbye is painful and fraught with difficulty, it is also necessary and can lead to a form of emotional cleansing or rebirth, even if it comes at the cost of igniting the self in the process.

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