Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Bestiary U.S.A.: Seal," Anne Sexton crafts a surreal and evocative exploration of longing, freedom, and existential yearning through the imagery of a seal that defies its natural habitat and seeks something beyond the confines of its ordinary life. The poem juxtaposes the seal's physical environment with its metaphysical desires, creating a tension between the earthly and the transcendent.

The poem opens with the image of a seal, not in its typical form, but one that is imbued with fantastical elements: "I dreamt of a seal / with wide wings, / made of vinegar and little boys." The seal is transformed from a mere marine mammal into a creature with "wide wings," suggesting a desire for flight and freedom, a departure from the limitations of the sea. The phrase "made of vinegar and little boys" is cryptic and surreal, possibly symbolizing a mixture of bitterness (vinegar) and innocence or potential (little boys). This combination hints at the complexity of the seal's existence, which is both grounded in the harsh realities of life and animated by youthful dreams and aspirations.

As the seal "sails past the star motes, / up over the city of Frisco," the poem moves from the earthbound to the celestial. The seal, now a creature of the sky, transcends its natural element, moving beyond the "rocks and sea water" that it is "sick of." This flight over San Francisco—a city often associated with freedom, counterculture, and exploration—further emphasizes the seal's yearning for a broader experience, for something more than its mundane existence.

The seal's plea, "forgive me lord / for I have lived so little," expresses a deep sense of regret and a recognition of the limitations of its life. The seal's confession reveals its awareness of having missed out on the fullness of existence, having been confined to "rocks and sea water." This acknowledgment leads to the seal's yearning to "see the bum dozing / off on scag," and "the women in labor / pushing forth a pink head." These images of urban life—the homeless, the drug-addicted, the process of childbirth—are raw and human, contrasting sharply with the seal's natural environment. The seal craves exposure to the gritty, visceral experiences of life, as if these encounters would validate its existence and offer it a deeper connection to the world.

The poem’s tone shifts to one of desperation and urgency as the seal expresses its need "to fly" and its exhaustion with its current life: "lord I need to fly I am sick of / rocks and sea water." The repetition of "I need" underscores the intensity of the seal's desires, as it seeks out not just freedom but a new perspective on life, represented by its longing to "see the moon," described as an "old gyrator, / old butter ball." The moon, often a symbol of change and mystery, becomes a beacon of hope and a symbol of the broader, more vibrant life that the seal seeks.

The poem culminates in the seal's ultimate plea: "Lord, let me see Jesus before it's all over, / crawling up some mountain, reckless and outraged / calling out poems / as he lets out his blood." This final image is both powerful and poignant. The seal, having sought out the heights of experience, now wishes to witness the ultimate act of sacrifice and redemption—the crucifixion of Christ. The act of "calling out poems / as he lets out his blood" connects the divine with the artistic, suggesting that in the face of mortality, the expression of one's soul—through poetry, through art—becomes a form of transcendence, a way to confront and make sense of suffering and death.

Through the character of the seal, Sexton explores themes of limitation, yearning, and the search for meaning beyond the physical world. The seal's journey from the ocean to the sky, from the mundane to the sacred, reflects a universal human desire to break free from the constraints of our lives and to find something more profound, something that gives our existence significance. The poem's surreal imagery and emotional intensity create a haunting meditation on the longing for transcendence, the struggle to reconcile with one's limitations, and the hope that, in the end, there might be something greater waiting beyond the horizon.

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