"Not Quiet Enough" (Spring)

                In “Not Quiet Enough”, Olds reflects on her marriage in a more distant way than in her previous poems; this indicates that she is slowly getting over her divorce.

                The archetypal use of the circadian cycles and seasons are alluded to again, but in a more reflective manner when she states: “I can hardly see those nights and afternoons, anymore” (48).  The audience knows that the end of their marriage happened about six months ago and by Olds saying that she can’t vividly picture the end and the time they spent together, the audience can see that she is healing. Olds also shows her healing by mentioning that the bruise of her marriage is finally fading and that she looks forward to it’s rotting colors.

                Although Olds doesn’t feel as much pain anymore, she still blames herself for the end of her marriage; she thinks of herself as: “I the glittering panther/ holding him down, and screaming”.  Although Olds knows that the end of the marriage wasn’t entirely her fault, she still maintains a sense of shame for having her marriage turn sour.

               The Spring section in Stag’s Leap is a very reflective portion of the collection that deals more with certain events in her marriage rather than just her ex himself. She speaks of her miscarriage, vacation, the longevity of her marriage, and how her children look like her father.  There is apparent pain in her words, but somehow they are more reflective than previously; the wound isn’t as fresh.

                "French Bra" continues the motif of her breasts in this section. Olds reflects upon a french vacation where she found a beautiful french bra covered in lace that she couldn't wait to bring home to her husband and show it to him. This continues the idea of masculinity taking advantage of femininity to a point where Olds feels that parts of her belong to her partner; this idea will be useful to her when she gains her independence back.

                I am most intrigued by the poem "To Our Miscarried One, Age Thirty Now" because it may explain the reason Olds doesn't mention her children as often as I think she would. This poem describes her dead child and how her miscarriage and removal of the baby happened on the toilet. Being a touchy subject, I would imagine that Olds will always feel that pain no matter how much she talks about it, unlike writing about her husband because subconsciously she knows that she won't always suffer from that pain therefore it is easier to talk about.I will post about the Summer section promptly.

             -Nicki Clifford