Music Swims Back To Me: An Analysis of Two Readings
The earliest forms of poetry were performed rather than read, and the transcription of this oral tradition transformed the experience of poetry. It allowed readers to experience poems as text rather than audial or visual performances. Although the enjoyment of poetry in a textual form has become more common in modern times, the experience of reading poetry can be lacking some of the key features associated with poetry and its performance. For example, a poem’s rhythm, meter, and cadence cannot be easily determined without first reading it aloud. Furthermore, the meaning or intention of a poem could be heavily influenced by the way it is delivered. In two separate readings of her poem “Music Swims Back To Me,” Anne Sexton’s delivery contrasted greatly, which in turn must have shaped each audience’s reception of the poem. It is likely that audience members attending the 1959 reading did not draw the same conclusions from the poem as those attending the 1974 reading, 15 years later.
“Music Swims Back To Me” is a poem based on Sexton’s own personal experiences at a mental institution. In the introduction to her reading in 1959, Sexton seemed to imply that she was not only the poet but also the speaker of the poem. As this is not always the case in poetry, it will be important to keep this in mind to compare and analyze her two readings. The poem opens with the line, “Wait Mister. Which way is home?” Sexton poses this question after she had been left in a “private institution on a hill.” As Sexton documented her memory of the institution, she emphasized the dominating role of music throughout the poem. This is especially prominent in the second stanza, where music is personified to “see more” of the institution and “remember [it] better” than Sexton herself. By the end of the poem, the only clear memories of herself that Sexton seemed to hold on to are the moments when she “danced in a circle” or was locked in a chair at the institution. In her two readings of the poem, Sexton highlighted her memories in a contrasting manner, suggesting different intentions with each reading.
Starting with her earlier reading, Sexton’s delivery of the poem demonstrated a sense of anxiety towards her experience. She read the poem at a quick pace, with shorter pauses and strong emphasis and enunciation of certain words. The first line was delivered with a sharp, striking tone to call out to a “Mister,” followed by an inquisitive tone to ask for the way home. This seemed to reflect her own confusion towards the situation and her environment as well as an eagerness to find some consolation. Yet as she described the music (“…music sees more than I. I mean it remembers better.”), her voice became softer and gentler, as if the music served to protect or save her from the insanity and her memory of it. Her voice became louder once again as she described more violent scenes of being stuck “with a singing in the head” and being locked in a chair. During a time ridden with anxiety, this reading suggested that the tune she heard helped to calm and soothe her, as emphasized by Sexton’s changes in volume while she read.
In her 1974 reading of “Music Swims Back To Me,” Sexton delivered the poem more slowly, with longer pauses and at a lower volume. This reading no longer reflected a similar anxiety or despair as her earlier reading. Instead, Sexton’s delivery demonstrated a calm acceptance of her time at the institution and a greater distance from her memories of the experience. As she mimicked the music, “la la la,” she lingered on each syllable, as if she was enjoying the memory of it. Much like her earlier reading, music seemed to help provide her with a sense of calm that had continued even as she read the poem. As Sexton went on to describe the same violent scenes, she spoke more slowly without a rush to get through her memory. This suggested her distance from the memory, as it no longer evoked anxiety for her to remember the experience. While music continued to play a similarly soothing role in this later reading, Sexton also demonstrated an acceptance and distance from her time at the institution.
The two readings that Sexton delivered portrayed compatible arguments regarding music, even as her own perceived memories of the institution changed over time. These subtle changes would not have been apparent in the text itself, which could have impacted the way readers interpreted the poem. This analysis highlights the importance of considering the performance of poetry to gain a full understanding of its meanings and intentions.