The Rooted ‘She’ and Soaring ‘He’: Bartok and the Geranium’s Commentary on the Gendering of Interior/Exterior Spaces
‘Bartok and the Geranium’ by Dorothy Livesay utilizes imagery stressing tension between various interior and exterior spaces occupied by the poem’s ‘he’ and ‘she’ characters as a means of commentary upon the differing limitations of each gender. Specifically, the poem offers a rebuttal to the outdated ideal that a woman’s confinement to the ‘interior’ domestic sphere and overall fulfilment with life are mutually exclusive concepts. Instead, the piece portrays a content and serene female entity whose consistent level of happiness is sustained long after the far more excitable and free-spirited male presence burns out to leave her alone again. This idea is emphasized through repeated juxtapositional diction in relation to each character as well as birdlike imagery and subtle allusions to other famous winged literary specimens. All of this serves to highlight a recurring disparity between gendered portrayals in literature, doing so both by reversing typical roles, and by having the limited woman’s tranquility extend unbroken beyond the male’s interference.
To commence, references to the unnamed ‘he’ and ‘she’ are often tied in relation to oppositional imagery tied to inner and outer spaces. For instance, ‘her’ first appearance, described as an agreeable flower content with rain or shine, is specific to mention that she soaks up the elements from behind “the pane” of the window (Liveday, 2). This immediately sets the piece’s female representation up as restricted to an interior space from the first. ‘He’, meanwhile, gallivants so freely that he is constantly tied to the cosmos; where she remains quite literally rooted to her windowsill, he rather “...whirls / Explodes in space” (10-11) and further “must speed high and higher still / From galaxy to galaxy” (15-16). There is a palpable tension here in the way these two are described, with the female presence potted within the domestic space of a home and the male professing ample liberty by comparison that he cannot be contained to the earthly atmosphere. This opposition can be thus tied to traditional gender roles in the sense that a typical woman, especially at the time in which the poem was written, would not be granted the same opportunities, privileges, and plain luxuries that any average man would enjoy. Women’s independence was nonexistent in comparison… and so the fact that she remains serene, remains above her implied oppression, is what is most fascinating. She may only view sunshine through glass, and see only the raindrops as they trail down the pane, but she does get to enjoy these delights at a distance. Though she is disallowed from soaring to the wondrous sights and heights her counterpart gets to indulge in, this geranium can find joy in the present moment, and make the most of the pot in which she extends her roots.
Another significant binary linking these two is the act of breathing; where she is “heaven-held breath” (21), he “spits with hell’s own spark” (23). Holding a breath as she is described is indicative of an inhale whereas ‘spitting’ implies a violent expulsion of air. This is yet another instance of interior and exterior spaces being mentioned in relation to the pair, as she is holding in and he is expelling out. And yet, contradictorily, heaven and hell are curious word choices to attach to their respective labels. Heaven is associated with the very freedom and soaring spiritual heights already established in relation to him and not her. Hell, alternately, is beneath even the soil she finds herself planted within. These oxymoronic pairings beg further interpretation. One possible deciphering can be argued that liberty of exterior spaces is not synonymous with gratification, and likewise being shackled to the interior should not be confused with discontent. Her being ‘heaven-held’ in particular shoves these opposing ideas together; she is emotionally prospering, yes, but still held in. Not quite oppressed perhaps but still in some sense repressed. It is this very juxtaposition that makes the next couple lines particularly poignant: “Yet in this room, this moment now / These together breathe and be” (24-25). For all his freedom and all her restraint, there is always an intersection between interior and exterior. They share this moment just on the cusp between spaces, and the fact that the phrase ‘together breathe’ occurs mere lines after describing her inhale and his exhale emphasizes the fact that limitation or liberty does not always guarantee one’s ultimate success in life. In spite of their intense polarity, he and she, here they are coexisting in the same place.
A notable metaphor of interest in the text is the recurring avian imagery. For example, there is a significant biblical allusion provided in relation to this piece’s Bartok, who “soars beyond sight / Then hurls, lost Lucifer / From Heaven’s height” (28-30). This sets a powerful scene, for the tale being invoked here has universally recognized connotations. It suggests that, like the fallen angel, ‘he’ grows too reckless with his errant exploration, perhaps too egocentric within his privilege, and as a result falls from the very cosmos he is so lucky enough to enjoy. It is interesting that he is specifically said to fall from ‘Heaven’s height’ here, as his female counterpart was in the stanza above described as ‘Heaven-held’ breath, suggesting that his overextension of greed is exactly what removes him from the wholesome contentment with life she has herself achieved. It is worth mentioning that this brief history of Lucifer was told in the exact style of yet another winged literary figure; the author chose to phrase Satan’s fall much like the famous fall of Icarus from Greek mythology. This amalgamation of two similar allusions drives home the message in common between them; to grow too prideful of oneself (and one’s own privilege) risks losing it all entirely. In the context of this poem, he “storms and crackles” (22) with “mad intensity” (27) just before his alleged plunge, implying an almost manic frame of mind as he soars amongst the stars.
In contrast, there is no grand allusion attached to the singular instance ‘she’ is labeled with birdlike imagery. After Bartok peaks at his crescendo and falls, “he’s out: / She leans a lip against the glass / And preens herself in light” (31-33). The word ‘preen’ is an interesting moment of diction because it is almost solely used in association with birds cleaning and fluffing their feathers. There is no underlying context to that. The lack of attached character leaves this passage open to interpretation for readers. My first indication myself was that of a caged songbird trilling a song out the window behind which she is trapped. The association with the word to cleanliness could be stretched to mean purity, which fits with all previous descriptions. But, given the addition of Lucifer/Icarus’ tales, it's highly likely that she is also meant to be visualized as an angel - though one not yet fallen. She has exhibited no pride, arrogance, or greed indicative of being cast from heavenly favor. As such, it is also worth noting that she is described as preening herself in light in particular, which serves both to underscore her heavenly attributions as well as to place her further on the spectrum from her counterpart, who was himself described as dark (20). The biggest question that this poem leaves its audience with is why this so-called geranium remains so untrampled by her lack of autonomy, especially when directly confronted with her extremely independent alternate who can wander between galaxies whilst she is confined indoors. One interpretation is simply that the reversal of roles with a subdued woman outlasting the unencumbered man is designed to make readers think. Such a reversal should make readers ponder the preconceived notions they entered this reading with that made them so very surprised when the geranium emerged unscathed and resilient in the final lines.
In summation, ‘Bartok and the Geranium’ by Dorothy Livesay is a poem rife with tensions; tensions between light and dark, free and confined, heaven and hell, etc, and each of these tensions is personified within the equally oppositional personalities of ‘he’ and ‘she’. However, the most significant binary opposition is the metaphorical divide between interior and exterior spaces, and the near invisible gendering that each undergoes. She is a creature stuck indoors, staring out but never venturing. He is an excitable beast traveling the stars with no anchor to ground him. Theoretically he should have every opportunity to get and remain ahead of his less adventurous equivalent. And yet, much like the stars he orbits, it is his very intensity that enables him to burn bright and then burn out entirely. It is his exact lack of boundaries that allows him to drift too far into the world of indulgence. She, meanwhile, finds satisfaction in her stationary world: “Whatever falls / She has no commentary / Accepts, extends” (5-7). With her roots firmly planted there is no need to go in feverish search of more, but instead feel fulfilled with whatever pleasures find her at her windowsill, rain or shine.
Works Cited
Livesay, Dorothy. “Bartok and the Geranium.” Ms. Pitchford-Yeung's Class Blog (2019-2020), 1 Apr. 2019, pitchfordyeung.wordpress.com/2014/02/14/eng-12-poetry/.