Excerpt

Excerpt from Men, Women and Ghosts, by Amy Lowell

My dress is richly figured,
And the train
Makes a pink and silver stain
On the gravel, and the thrift
Of the borders.
Just a plate of current fashion,
Tripping by in high-heeled, ribboned shoes.
Not a softness anywhere about me,
Only whalebone and brocade.
And I sink on a seat in the shade
Of a lime tree. For my passion
Wars against the stiff brocade.
The daffodils and squills
Flutter in the breeze
As they please.
And I weep;
For the lime-tree is in blossom
And one small flower has dropped upon my bosom.

And the plashing of waterdrops
In the marble fountain
Comes down the garden-paths.
The dripping never stops.
Underneath my stiffened gown
Is the softness of a woman bathing in a marble basin,
A basin in the midst of hedges grown
So thick, she cannot see her lover hiding,
But she guesses he is near,
And the sliding of the water
Seems the stroking of a dear
Hand upon her.
What is Summer in a fine brocaded gown!
I should like to see it lying in a heap upon the ground.
All the pink and silver crumpled up on the ground.

I would be the pink and silver as I ran along the paths,
And he would stumble after,
Bewildered by my laughter.
I should see the sun flashing from his sword-hilt and the buckles
on his shoes.
I would choose
To lead him in a maze along the patterned paths,
A bright and laughing maze for my heavy-booted lover,
Till he caught me in the shade,
And the buttons of his waistcoat bruised my body as he clasped me,
Aching, melting, unafraid.
With the shadows of the leaves and the sundrops,
And the plopping of the waterdrops,
All about us in the open afternoon--
I am very like to swoon
With the weight of this brocade,
For the sun sifts through the shade.

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Explanation

Detailed Explanation of Amy Lowell’s "Men, Women and Ghosts" Excerpt

This poem, from Amy Lowell’s 1916 collection Men, Women and Ghosts, is a vivid exploration of feminine desire, societal restraint, and the tension between artificiality and natural passion. Lowell, a key figure in the Imagist movement, often employed sensory, concrete imagery to evoke emotion, and this poem is a prime example of her ability to contrast external rigidity with internal longing.

The poem’s speaker is a woman trapped in the confines of high society, her body encased in whalebone corsets and stiff brocade, symbols of the oppressive expectations placed on women in the early 20th century (and, by extension, in earlier aristocratic eras). The poem unfolds as a dreamlike reverie, where the speaker imagines escaping her restrictive attire and embracing sensual freedom in nature.

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Themes

1. Confinement vs. Liberation

   • The brocade dress, whalebone corset, and high-heeled shoes represent social constraints—the way women were expected to present themselves as ornamental, controlled, and unyielding.
   • The lime tree, water fountain, and garden paths symbolize natural freedom, a space where the speaker can imagine shedding her societal role.
   • The crumpled heap of the gown in her fantasy represents rejection of artificiality—she longs to be soft, fluid, and uninhibited.

2. Desire and Sensuality

   • The poem is erotically charged, with water imagery (plashing fountain, sliding water, marble basin) suggesting tactile pleasure and intimacy.
   • The hidden lover in the garden evokes clandestine passion, a contrast to the speaker’s public, performative femininity.
   • The physicality of desire is emphasized in lines like:

     "the buttons of his waistcoat bruised my body as he clasped me, / Aching, melting, unafraid." This suggests both pain and pleasure, a raw, unfiltered experience opposed to her stiff exterior.

3. Nature vs. Artifice

   • The garden is a liminal space—cultivated yet wild, structured yet free.
   • The daffodils and squills move "as they please", while the speaker is bound by fashion.
   • The lime blossom that falls on her bosom is a small but significant disruption—nature intruding on her controlled world, triggering her emotional breakdown ("And I weep").

4. Performance of Femininity

   • The speaker describes herself as "Just a plate of current fashion"—she is an object, a display, not a person with agency.
   • The high-heeled shoes and ribboned shoes reinforce the idea of feminine performance, a role she is forced to play.
   • Her fantasy of running freely is a rebellion against this performance.

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Literary Devices & Style

1. Imagery (Sensory & Tactile)

   • Visual: "pink and silver stain on the gravel", "sun flashing from his sword-hilt"
   • Auditory: "plashing of waterdrops", "plopping of the waterdrops", "my laughter"
   • Tactile: "stiff brocade", "softness of a woman bathing", "buttons... bruised my body"
   • These create an immersive, almost cinematic experience, pulling the reader into the speaker’s physical and emotional state.

2. Contrast & Juxtaposition

   • Hard vs. Soft:
     • "Not a softness anywhere about me, / Only whalebone and brocade."
     • "Underneath my stiffened gown / Is the softness of a woman bathing..."
   • Restriction vs. Freedom:
     • The garden paths are "patterned" (structured), but she imagines leading her lover in a "bright and laughing maze" (playful chaos).
   • Public vs. Private:
     • The fashionable exterior vs. the hidden, sensual self.

3. Symbolism

   • The Brocade Gown: Represents social expectations, wealth, and oppression.
   • The Lime Tree & Blossom: Symbolizes fragile beauty, natural disruption, and fleeting moments of passion.
   • The Water Fountain: A metaphor for desire—constant, rhythmic, and uncontrollable (like her emotions).
   • The Sword & Buckles: Masculine power and pursuit, contrasting with her fluid, evasive movement.

4. Enjambment & Rhythm

   • The poem flows like water, with irregular line breaks mimicking the unpredictability of desire.
   • Example:

     "I should like to see it lying in a heap upon the ground. / All the pink and silver crumpled up on the ground." The repetition of "on the ground" emphasizes defiance—she wants to destroy the symbol of her confinement.

5. Personification & Metaphor

   • "my passion / Wars against the stiff brocade" → Desire as a rebellious force.
   • "the sliding of the water / Seems the stroking of a dear / Hand upon her" → Water as a lover’s touch.

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Significance & Interpretation

1. Feminist Reading

   • The poem critiques how women were (and often still are) expected to be decorative, controlled, and emotionally restrained.
   • The brocade gown is a metaphor for patriarchal expectations—beautiful but suffocating.
   • The speaker’s fantasy of freedom is a radical act of self-reclamation.

2. Imagist Aesthetics

   • Lowell, like other Imagists (Ezra Pound, H.D.), rejects excessive romanticism in favor of sharp, concrete images.
   • The poem does not explain—it shows. The reader feels the tension between restraint and desire through sensory details.

3. Psychological Depth

   • The speaker’s weeping suggests repressed emotion—she is overwhelmed by the contrast between her outer self and inner longings.
   • The fantasy of being chased is both playful and erotic, revealing her desire for connection and escape.

4. Historical Context

   • Written in 1916, during World War I, the poem reflects a world in upheaval—traditional gender roles were being challenged, and women were seeking greater autonomy.
   • The rigid fashion of the time (corsets, elaborate gowns) was symbolic of broader societal constraints.

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Line-by-Line Breakdown of Key Moments

1. "My dress is richly figured... Only whalebone and brocade."

   • The opulence of her dress is empty—it’s beautiful but restrictive.
   • "Not a softness anywhere" → She is armored in societal expectations.

2. "For my passion / Wars against the stiff brocade."

   • Her inner self is at war with her outer presentation.
   • "Wars" is a violent word, suggesting internal conflict.

3. "And I weep; / For the lime-tree is in blossom / And one small flower has dropped upon my bosom."

   • The blossom is a catalyst—nature intrudes on her artificial world, making her vulnerable.
   • The tears are both sadness and release.

4. "Underneath my stiffened gown / Is the softness of a woman bathing in a marble basin..."

   • The hidden self is sensual, free, and unobserved.
   • The marble basin suggests luxury but also coldness—she is alone in her desire.

5. "What is Summer in a fine brocaded gown! / I should like to see it lying in a heap upon the ground."

   • Summer = vitality, heat, passion—but she is trapped in fabric.
   • The fantasy of destruction ("crumpled up on the ground") is liberating.

6. "I would be the pink and silver as I ran along the paths..."

   • She imagines becoming pure movement and color—no longer an object, but a force of nature.
   • The laughter, maze, and chase are playful, almost childlike, contrasting with her earlier rigidity.

7. "Aching, melting, unafraid."

   • The climax of her fantasy—she is no longer stiff or controlled, but fully alive in her body.
   • "Unafraid" is key—she rejects shame in her desire.

8. "I am very like to swoon / With the weight of this brocade..."

   • The final lines return to reality—she is still trapped, but now more aware of her suffering.
   • The swooning suggests both exhaustion and ecstasy—she is overwhelmed by the tension between duty and desire.

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Conclusion: Why This Poem Matters

Amy Lowell’s excerpt is a powerful meditation on female agency, the body, and societal expectations. Through vivid imagery and sharp contrasts, she exposes the suffocating nature of performative femininity while celebrating the possibility of liberation.

The poem does not offer a resolution—the speaker remains trapped in her brocade, but her fantasy is a rebellion. It invites readers to question how much of our identity is imposed and how much is truly our own.

In the context of early 20th-century literature, this work is boldly modern—it centers female desire without apology, using Imagist precision to make the abstract (longing, oppression) feel tangible.

Ultimately, the poem resonates beyond its time, speaking to anyone who has ever felt constrained by expectations and dreamed of breaking free.