Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Pope Joan" by Carol Ann Duffy delves into the legendary tale of a woman who, according to medieval myth, disguised herself as a man and rose to become Pope, only to be discovered when she gave birth during a procession. Duffy reimagines this narrative, giving voice to Joan in a first-person perspective that captures her spiritual and personal journey, ultimately revealing her profound realization and the pivotal moment of her unmasking.

The poem starts with Joan recounting her religious duties and experiences, emphasizing the mystical and ceremonial aspects of her role as Pope. Through the act of "transubstantiate unleavened bread / into the sacred host," Duffy illustrates Joan’s deep engagement with the spiritual rituals of her office. The imagery of "blue-green snakes of smoke" swirling around her during the incense burning evokes a sense of the sacred, weaving an almost magical quality into her description of the liturgy.

As Joan describes her position "high up in a papal chair, / blessing and blessing the air," the reader senses her initial reverence and the power she wields in this male-dominated hierarchy. She places herself "nearer to heaven / than cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests," asserting a divine closeness that surpasses even the highest church officials. Duffy's portrayal here reflects a complex interplay between genuine spiritual engagement and the performative aspects of religious authority.

However, a shift occurs as Joan confesses, "but twice as virtuous as them, / I came to believe / that I did not believe a word." This admission introduces a critical turning point, marking her internal conflict and disillusionment with the doctrines she preaches and perhaps with the institution she embodies. The phrase "twice as virtuous" subtly critiques the hypocrisy she perceives within the Church, suggesting her moral struggle with maintaining her disguised identity amidst the spiritual decay around her.

The climax of the poem and the crux of Joan's story is her pregnancy and childbirth, which expose her true identity. Duffy captures this moment with intense physicality and emotional resonance: "the sense of a hand / lifting me, flinging me down, / lifting me, flinging me down, / as my baby pushed out / from between my legs." This repetition mirrors the labor pains, symbolizing both the birth of her child and the rebirth of her true self, stripped of her papal facade.

Joan's reflection that this moment was when she felt "the closest I felt / to the power of God" is deeply ironic and poignant. In the act of childbirth, typically viewed as exclusively feminine and thus forbidden to her assumed role, she experiences a divine connection that her clerical duties never afforded her. This realization underscores the poem's critique of the Church's gender biases and the suppression of female power.

Concluding with her identification as "not a man or a pope at all" reaffirms her identity as a woman, which she views as her truest self, despite the miraculous nature of her story. Duffy’s "Pope Joan" is a powerful reclamation of agency and identity, challenging historical narratives and the structures that enforce them, and it resonates with themes of belief, gender, and the authenticity of divine experience.

POEM TEXT: https://voetica.com/poem/6827

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