Exploring the Profound Connection: Sharon Olds' Poems about Her Father

A Bond That Transcends Time and Space

Throughout the history of literature, poets have often found inspiration in their own personal experiences and relationships. For Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Sharon Olds, her connection with her father has been a wellspring of creativity and introspection. Through her poignant and deeply personal poems, Olds delves into the complexities of father-daughter relationships, unearthing a myriad of emotions and memories that resonate with readers on a profound level.

A Glimpse into Olds' World

Sharon Olds' poems about her father provide readers with a raw and unfiltered look into her own life, inviting them to navigate the depths of her emotions and experiences. In her poem "The Death of Marilyn Monroe," Olds explores the impact her father's death had on her as she draws parallels between the iconic actress and her father's struggle with mental health:

When I was a girl, I would not play
with dolls with breasts, I would not play
with them if they had breasts.
I would only play with the ones
that did not have breasts.
One day I went into the attic
of our tall house, in the west of America,
and saw all the dolls
from all over the world
up there, naked, their breasts
removed from them.
After that, breasts
were all over.
They were on my friends,
on my enemies,
on my mother,
on my father.
I hid them,
I covered them,
I wore
a bra and tight clothes.
I wrapped myself up.
I did not want to be a woman.
I wanted not to be a woman,
I wanted to be a girl,
a boy.

Through these powerful words, Olds reveals the lasting impact of her father's absence on her perception of femininity and her struggle to define her own identity.

Love, Loss, and Longing

In another deeply affecting poem, "I Go Back to May 1937," Olds reflects on her parents' troubled marriage and the longing for a different outcome:

I see my father strolling out
under the ochre sandstone arch, the
red tiles glinting like bent
plates of blood behind his head, I
see my mother with a few light books at her hip
standing at the pillar made of tiny bricks
with the wrought-iron gate still open behind her, its
sword-tips black in the May air,
they are about to graduate, they are about to get married,
they are kids, they are dumb, all they know is they are
innocent, they would never hurt anybody.

Olds' vivid imagery and heartfelt words showcase the bittersweet yearning for a different past, one where her parents' love could have thrived and endured.

A Tribute to a Complex Relationship

In "The Pope's Penis," Olds delves into the intricate layers of her relationship with her father, exploring the power dynamics and the ways in which he influenced her perception of authority and religion:

It hangs deep in his robes, a delicate
clapper at the center of a bell.
It moves when he moves, a ghostly fish in a
halo of silver seaweed, the hair
swaying in the dark and the heat — and at night
while his eyes sleep, it stands up
in praise of God.

Olds' ability to intertwine the sacred with the profane showcases the complexity of her emotions towards her father, capturing the conflicting feelings of admiration and rebellion that often define such relationships.

A Testament to the Power of Poetry

Sharon Olds' poems about her father serve as a testament to the power of poetry to explore the depths of human emotions and experiences. Through her unflinchingly honest and evocative verses, she invites readers to reflect on their own relationships and the profound impact they can have on one's sense of self.

As we navigate the complexities of our own lives, Olds' poems provide solace and understanding, reminding us that our relationships, even those fraught with pain and longing, are an integral part of our individual narratives.