Essay Questions

How can H.D’s Wine Bowl be interpreted as a poem on sexuality?

The speaker’s intent to rise from the dead can be interpreted as the desire to express the sexuality which the speaker has repressed for so long. The use of the word dead means that the speaker has not been able to enjoy his or her sexuality.The wine is a representation of the speaker’s sexuality which will help in sweetening the life of the wine bowl (which represents the speaker). The speaker’s declaration on summoning creatures such as ‘Satyr , Centaur and Faun’ among others to dance refers to the intention to confront all the myths that have contributed to the repression of sexuality.

Furthermore, when the speaker says, “I will work at each separate part/ till my mind is worn out/ and my heart”, it becomes clear that the speaker is ready to invest emotional and mental energy in asserting sexuality. Arguably, the lines “I will challenge the reed-pipe/and stringed lyre/ to sing sweeter/pipe wilder” denotes the confrontation of the societal standards which result in the side-lining of people using sexual orientations. The “intimate fervour” refers to the passion that the speaker anticipates from his/ her sexuality. The lines, “the bowl will ensnare and enchant/ men who crouch by the hearth/ till they want”, allude to the speaker’s sexuality. According to diction in the lines, the speaker is gay; he intends to attract other men who share the sexuality, but maybe, are scared to come out.

In the context of the theme of sexuality, what effect does the repetition of the phrase: “I will” have on the poem.

The repetition of “ I will” illuminates the speaker’s decisiveness on relishing his or her sexuality; the speaker is resolute; hence, this personage will not be dissuaded. The speaker’s self-determination, which is evident in the phrase, accentuates the moral strength that a person whose sexuality is shunned by the society as it is regarded as deviant, requires to live within the confines of that sexuality without any apprehension. Besides, the phrase makes the poem rhythmical. The regular rhythm emanating from the phrase "I will" dictates the mood and tone of the poem. Through phrase, the reader ascertains that the speaker is tenacious and the poem’s mood is optimistic.