ONEFLESH

Lyingapartnow,eachinaseparatebed,
Hewithabook,keepingthelightonlate,
Shelikeagirldreamingofchildhood,
Allmenelsewhereitisasiftheywait
Somenewevent:thebookheholdsunread,
Hereyesfixedontheshadowsoverhead.

Tosseduplikeflotsamfromaformerpassion,
Howcooltheylie.Theyhardlyevertouch,
Oriftheydo,itislikeaconfession
Ofhavinglittlefeelingortoomuch.
Chastityfacesthem,adestination
Forwhichtheirwholeliveswereapreparation.

Strangelyapart,yetstrangelyclosetogether,
Silencebetweenthemlikeathreadtohold
Andnotwindin.Andtimeitself'safeather
Touchingthemgently.Dotheyknowthey'reold,
Thesetwowhoaremyfatherandmymother
WhosefirefromwhichIcame,hasnowgrowncold?

ElizabethJennings(19262001)

ElizabethJennings

WHATISTHEMEANINGOFTHEPOEM?

Thepoetcontemplatestherelationshipandseparatenessofherparents,nowthatthepassion
betweenthemhasended.Thoughnolongeroneflesh,theyarestillbondedtogether.
Inthefirststanza
,sheexploresthephysicalseparationofherparentsintwosinglebeds.
Herfatherintendstoread,butdoesnotconcentrate.Hekeepsthelighton,asifbusy.Her
motherdreamsofchildhoodandpondersonmeningeneral.Theirdaughter,thepoet,
imaginesthattheyareinsuspense:awaitingsomeeventorexcitementtostirtheirlivesinto
action.Botharejuststaringemptily:heatthebook,sheattheshadows.Theyseem
physically,mentallyandemotionallyworldsapart
.
Inthesecondstanza
,thepoetremarksonhowtheiroldbodiesarelikethewasteorleftovers
fromtheiryearsofpassion.Nowthattheirpassionisdead,thehavegrownphysicallyapart,
withoutvisibleaffectionorphysicalcontact.Anyslighttouchingtheydoisareminderof
howunemotionaltheyhavebecome.Perhapsthisthoughtisaccompaniedbyprivatepain
overwhattheybothhavelost.Theyfaceapassionlessfuture.Itisasiftheirpassionateyears
wereapreparationfortheirisolation.Chastityisareligiousstateofpurity.
Inthethirdstanza
,itisasurprisefortheirdaughtertoseethemapart.Sheseesa
contradictionbetweentheirdistantcompanionshipandthepassionatelivestheyoncelived.
Yet,thoughapart,theyhavesomethingthatmakesthemstrangelytogether:theirshared
memories,experience,relationshipandmutualisolation.Theirunspeakingsilenceunites
them.Theyhavetheirisolationincommon.Theyarelinkedinaslenderway,asifbya
thread.Buttheywillnotusethisthreadofarelationshiptowindeachotherin.Thepoet
realisesthattimehasgentlyalteredherparents,likethealmostunnoticedtouchofafeather.
Shewonderswhethertheyhavenoticedthegradualchangetakingplace.Aretheyawarethat
theyareold?Sheseemstothinktheyarenotawareofthefiretheyhavelostastheirlives
havecooledintosidebysideisolation.
WHATARETHEMAINIDEASANDTHEMES?

Separatenessinmarriageaftermanyyearsfadingpassionwhichhastransformedinto
comfortabledistanceandseparateness.

Olderagenourgentneedforaffectionorpassion.Contentwithjustbeingtogetheryetat
thesametimeapart.

ThenatureofrelationshipsHumanintimacyfadesawaywithage.Thepoemshowsthe
finalphaseofatraditionalmarriage.

TheslowdeclineofafamilyunitduetotimeThisisapoemaboutcomingtotermswith
losingonesparents.Thepoetfeelsshehasnearlylostherparentsbeforetheydie.Shefeels
thefirethatmadeher,asherparentsmadelove,hasfaded.

WHATARETHEASPECTSOFSTYLEWHICHMAKEITEFFECTIVE?

Thetoneisaccepting,resigned,perhapsregretful.

Thelinesarebalancedandcontrastedwitheachotherlikethecouplebutapartand
separated.

Therhymingcoupletsineachstanzareflectthecouple.

ChastityiscontrastedwithfirebutthislatterwordisinthepastfromwhichI
came.

ThetitleofthepoemOneFleshisareminderoftheirreligiousvows.Adam
recognizedthatEvewaspartofhimtheywereinfactoneflesh.Thetermone
fleshmeansthatjustasourbodiesareonewholeentityandcannotbedividedinto
piecesandstillbeawhole,soGodintendedittobewiththemarriagerelationship.