Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "A Widow in Wintertime," Carolyn Kizer captures the nuances of loneliness, memory, and the confrontation with one's past and present self. The poem employs rich imagery and metaphors to delve into the widow's psyche, exploring her relationship with her surroundings and her inner life.

The poem begins with a startling and unsettling image: "Last night a baby gargled in the throes / Of a fatal spasm." This immediately sets a tone of dread and alarm. However, the speaker quickly reassures herself that her own children are beyond such dangers, thus redirecting the focus to the broader theme of death and vulnerability in wintertime. This false alarm, as she realizes, was not a human infant but her cat making love: "The cat was making love again." This transition from the perceived danger to the mundane reality introduces a sense of relief mingled with a deeper contemplation of life and death.

As the speaker goes down to let the cat in, she observes the animal's post-romantic state: "She hung her tail, flagging from her sins." The cat's behavior and the act of feeding it despite it having already eaten reflect the widow's own emotional needs and her search for comfort: "Being myself hungry all ways, and thin / From metaphysic famines she knows nothing of." The comparison between the widow and the cat highlights their shared femaleness and the widow's reflections on her own past.

The widow muses on the similarities and differences between herself and the cat: "Even so, resemblances / Were on my mind: female and feline, though / She preens herself from satisfaction, and does / Not mind lying even in snow." The cat's ability to find satisfaction and comfort in the present, regardless of circumstances, contrasts sharply with the widow's introspective nature and her struggle with loneliness and austerity. This juxtaposition emphasizes the widow's sense of loss and her yearning for a simpler, more instinctual existence.

The poem further explores the widow's contemplation of her past, her "nine lives," and how they resonate in her current state: "As an ex-animal, I look fondly on / Her excesses and simplicities, and would not return / To them." Here, the widow acknowledges her own transformation from a more instinctual, carefree existence to one marked by discipline and introspection. Her past experiences, "my nine lives," echo in her mind, reminding her of the various phases and trials she has endured.

Kizer poignantly captures the widow's attempts to maintain some semblance of order and purpose in her life: "These arbitrary disciplines of mine, / Most of them trivial: like covering / The children on my way to bed." These small acts of care and responsibility provide her with a sense of routine and meaning, even as she grapples with the profound loneliness of widowhood.

The poem concludes with the widow's reflection on her current state and her dreams: "And not to dream / Of grappling in the snow, claws plunged in fur, / Or waken in a caterwaul of dying." This vivid imagery of struggle and death in the snow encapsulates the widow's fears and her ongoing battle with the harsh realities of her existence. The cat's primal behavior serves as a reminder of the widow's own mortality and the complexities of her emotional landscape.

In "A Widow in Wintertime," Kizer masterfully uses the cat as a metaphor for the widow's inner life, exploring themes of loss, resilience, and the search for meaning amidst the austerities of widowhood. The poem's rich imagery and poignant reflections offer a deep and moving portrayal of a woman's struggle to find solace and purpose in the face of profound loneliness.

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