The current article was conducted to study such notions as love and sexuality through the poems of Hilda Doolittle and identify the interconnection between the themes raised in the poetry and the personal life of the author connected to the topic of love. The study encompasses concepts of romantic and platonic love and draws parallels between the life of Hilda Doolittle and her works, providing the poetess' point of view concerning love and sexuality. The main purpose of the research is to examine Hilda Doolittle’s literary works like «Circe», «At Baia», «Loss» and «The Contest» with the reliance on additional materials that may assist in understanding hidden meanings of the poems.
Keywords: literature, literary work, poetry, love, sexuality.
Данная работа написана с целью изучения концептов любви и сексуальности через поэзию английской писательницы Хильды Дулитл и определения взаимосвязи поднимаемых в ее поэмах тем со взглядами поэтессы на тему любви. В статье поднимаются понятия романтической и платонической любви, проводится параллель между жизнью автора и ее работами, тем самым, показывая видение Хильды на данную тему. Основным методом исследования является анализ таких работ, как «Цирцея», «В Байя», «Потеря», «Соревнование» из сборников «Гимен» и «Морской сад» с привлечением дополнительных материалов, которые способствуют более полному пониманию поэзии автора.
Ключевые слова: литература, литературное произведение, поэзия, любовь, сексуальность.
Whilst considering the notions of love and sexuality, it should be understood that two concepts actually can be distinguished from one another as representing various aspects of human relationships, yet love being a more broad term. According to Gonzaga, Turner, Keltner, Campos and Altemus [3, p. 163], love can be defined as «motivational state associated with feelings of attachment and the inclination to seek commitment…», whilst the understanding of sexuality may involve several approaches to the topic. Sexuality, as well as sexual desire, may refer to the need of having sexual activity [3, p. 163]. When talking about sexuality, such terms as heterosexuality, gay, lesbian love, bisexuality, pansexuality, etc. can be discerned. For this particular paper, the notion of bisexuality is at most importance as the author of collections «Sea Garden» and «Hymen», Hilda Doolitle, was known to be bisexual.
Through life, Hilda Doolittle experienced love for both men and women. First love to Ezra Pound has been unfulfilled due to the fact that Hilda Dolittle could not become a muse, she was not treated well enough and her feelings were sort of diminished later on. Yet the love to a woman Frances Josepha Gregg has helped Doolittle to feel free and wholesome. However, both inspiring relationships have ended, leaving a huge impact on the author's literary career. Additionally, her later marriage to Aldington meant to be a perfect union based on interchangeable support and love for literature, yet not for long. Based on the experience, the poetess exploited topics of love to a man and lesbian love in her poems. Doolittle reconstructed the notions of gender, language and myth in order to position the newly-structured themes within the poems [4].
The issue with sexuality was accompanying Hilda Doolittle for her whole life, the contemplation on the topic had a significant effect on the author’s poetry. As the most vivid examples for the analysis poems «Circe», «At Baia», «Loss» and «The Contest» from Doolitlle’s collection «Hymen» and «Sea Garden» were taken. All four poems encompass the problem of sexual acceptance, both internal and external and reflect the poetess’ struggle to admit her sexual identity.
Considering the first poem in the list, «Circe» depicts the attitude towards men. The name of the work itself conveys a certain meaning. According to Greek mythology, Circe was the daughter of the god Helios and nymph Perse and was viewed as a witch that seduced and punished men by transforming them into animals [5]. The choice of the name of the poem has a particular purpose as the author wanted to emphasise women’s power that can be even superior to men’s desires, and that it is a woman that can choose the partner of her life, not the man. Throughout the poem, Hilda Doolittle uses such a phrase «It was easy enough…» [1, pp. 21–22], which indicates that for a woman to get a man she wants is no difficulty. The author reflects the idea that men can be easy to get as women may have a great influence which therefore may create the lack of interest. Circe, being a vigorous figure of the sea, seems bored over capturing and transforming men into beasts. Her ability to use magic allows to produce toys, for her converting men into animals is like a game she used to play over and over again, but sometimes people can get tired of the routine, that is why Doolittle in the poem mentions a new mysterious figure that is atypical to the ones the goddess used to know: «...how shall I call you back?...all of my sea-magic is for nought» [1, p. 21] This note of the appearance of one more significant character is full of ambiguity as the figure seems to be neutral. However, concerning Doolittle’s bisexuality, we can assume that ‘you’ has a female nature as the author writes that «it is easy enough to call men from the edges of the earth» [1, p. 22], but she is ready to give up everything for that ‘you’, which may be of the opposite sex contrasting the given quote.
Throughout the poem, the author proceeds describing the influence over men, having mentioned the sympathy and sweet melancholy towards the anonymous figure that is clearly very dear to the narrator. Circe observes her toys: «Panther and panther, then a black leopard…» [1, p. 21] their beast-like roars, yet the thing the heroine is interested in is the voice of her other lover. Doolittle focuses on the fact that males are «easy enough to call...from the edges of the earth…to summon them to her feet» [1, p. 22] and there is no necessity to strive for such love that may not possibly have emotional attachment to it, but rather to find a person, for whom you «could give up…the whole region of the power and magic» [1, p. 22], to give up everything just to receive a glance of the beloved one.
As can be understood, Doolittle sets the high standard of love in «Circe», and proposes the idea of bisexuality or even love to all the minorities as long as it is pure and sincere.
While in «Circe» the author mentions the appearance of ‘you’ just several times, the poem «At Baia» is fully dedicated to an anonymous lover. The author repeatedly uses such words as ‘orchid’ and ‘perilous’ in order to focus readers’ attention on those notions. Doolittle combines the concepts of love and fear: love, thoughtfulness, charm as the meaning of the orchid flower and the possible dismay that may happen due to a few reasons. Firstly, the fear may be connected to the society’s dissapproval of the narrator’s bisexual identity. The reason why ‘you’ may have a female face is connected to Doolittle’s description: «your hands (that never took mine)..., so fragile..so gently, the fragile flower…» [1, p. 30]. The author accentuates the fragileness of the hands that were not touched, the absence of physical sensations like, for example, a kiss, but the remaining feeling of endless love is what is significant to the writer.
In the poem the author hints at the impossibility of the socially-accepted relationship by converting the reality into the dream, yet her love will exist forever: «Lover to lover, no kiss, no touch, but forever and ever this» [1, p. 30]. The consequent second reason of the fear lies in the uncertainty of the future of such a relationship, of its mutuality and strong connection felt by both sides. Thus the fragility can be also referred to the vulnerability of the author.
Yet reviewing Doolitlle’s poem collection «Sea Garden», another portrait of love can be distinguished. Considering such poems as «Loss» and «The Contest», Hilda Doolittle invokes the image of love to a man which can be clearly understood from the description: «stature is modelled», «chiselled like rocks», «breast is taut», «shadow is sharp» [2, pp. 10–11]. Similar characteristics are provided in «Loss»: «strength of life and grasp», «strength of your wrist», «sharp muscles of your back» [2, p. 22]. All the mentioned quotes hint at masculine beauty, power and certain dominance. Doolittle evokes the god-like image, comparing a desirable man she has been observing to a heavenly figure: «but the gods wanted you, the gods wanted you back» [2, p. 22]. Thus the love to a man is seen not as an equal union, but rather that man is superior to a woman in a relationship, occupying a more presiding position. Therefore such attraction is also viewed as something unattainable, out of reach, the same as love to a woman.
In the poem «Loss» Hilda again mentions «curious peril» [2, p. 21] as in the poem «At Baia», which can be an allusion to the forbidden fruit. Doolittle is curious about exploring her sexual identity, paying attention both to the beauty of women and men, but not really coming close to both genders. She is seen as a scrupulous observer noticing the minor details peculiar of male and female nature and setting the distinction between perceptible love to a woman and fanatic love to a man.
By the observation of four poems, two of each is dedicated to the attraction to a man and to a woman, several common features were identified. Considering poems «Circe» and «At Baia», it can be stated that they represent the purity and cautious view on love towards a partner, towards a woman. Through «Circe» it can be understood that love to a man is of no high importance and significance, it is rather something animalistic and based on instincts. Hilda writes about the fragility and sincerity, with which she cares about her beloved one, who is also fragile. Such an attitude creates the image of a platonic love. It can be a parallel to Hilda’s love affair with Frances Gregg as the poetess had a close connection to that woman.
Concerning «Loss» and «The Contest», love is seen as not equal due to the fact that man is portrayed superior. In those works, woman does not play the role of a muse, rather is the one who idealises a man, seeing and noticing the most perfect features, which are mostly physical. Thus there is a concept of romantic love, which can be attributed to Hilda’s life again. The desire to become a muse to Ezra Pound that eventually was not fulfilled.
The appearance of the concept of love to both genders, male and female, in the poems indicate Doolittle’s bisexuality, show how the author explored her sexual identity and reflected her findings in the poetry.
References:
- Doolittle, H. (1921). Hymen. London: The Egoist Press. PP. — 21–30
- Doolittle, H. (1916). Sea Garden . Chiswick Press. PP. — 10–11, PP. — 21–22.
- Gonzaga G., Turner R., Keltner D.,Campos B. and Altemus M. (2006). Romantic Love and Sexual Desire in Close Relationships . American Psychological Association. P. — 163
- «H.D.» PoetryFoundation.org. [Electronic resource]. URL: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/h-d (Accessed 31 October, 2022).
- Smyth, K. Circe: Justice for the Witch. [Electronic resource]. URL: https://classicalwisdom.com/mythology/monsters/circe-justice-for-the-witch/ (Accessed 2 November, 2022).
