Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Muriel Rukeyser's "Panacea" explores the human desire for healing and the persistent search for wholeness in a fragmented world. The poem begins with a plea for restoration: "Make me well, I said.—And the delighted touch. / You put dead sweet hand on my dead brain." This opening sets a tone of desperation and hope, where the speaker seeks solace through another's touch, only to find temporary relief.

The imagery of the "night-street" and "blank light" creates a stark, urban landscape that reflects the inner turmoil of the speaker. As she leaves the comforting presence, she is immediately besieged by others demanding the same relief: "As soon as I left your house others besieged me / forcing my motion, saying, Make me well." This suggests a shared suffering, a collective yearning for healing in a world that seems indifferent to personal pain.

The speaker's return to the window symbolizes a retreat to introspection and solitude, only to find the same unresolved plea: "Make me well." The repetition underscores the persistence of this desire, despite the recognition that external forces are insufficient: "The white sea, which is inviolable, / is no greater, the disallied world’s unable." The "white sea" and "daylight horizons of lakes" represent vast, indifferent natural forces that cannot provide the personal healing the speaker seeks.

Rukeyser invokes the parable of the "hypocrite leper," questioning the belief in miraculous cures: "did he believe would be kissed whole by kisses?" This line challenges the notion of simple solutions to deep-seated afflictions, suggesting instead a more complex and elusive path to wellness. The speaker's resolve to "try beyond you now" and "try all flame" indicates a turn towards inner strength and determination, searching for an inviolable force within.

The poem's conclusion brings a resigned yet hopeful affirmation: "The sun, I say, sincere, the sun, the sun." The repeated invocation of the sun suggests a turning point, where the speaker seeks renewal through a force that symbolizes constancy and life-giving energy. The sun, unlike the fleeting touch or the indifferent natural landscapes, represents a universal source of power and light that might offer a deeper, more enduring form of healing.

"Panacea" thus captures the complexity of human suffering and the relentless quest for healing. Rukeyser's use of vivid imagery and poignant repetition highlights the tension between external remedies and internal resilience. The poem ultimately suggests that while the world may offer little in the way of true solace, there remains a persistent hope in the search for a force that can genuinely make one whole.

Copyright (c) 2024 PoetryExplorer

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...