The Menstrual Hut
How can I listen to the moon?
Your blood will listen, like a charm.
I knew a way to feel the sun
as if a statue felt warm eyes.
Even with ruins on the moon,
your blood will listen, every time.
Now I am the one with eyes.
Your blood can listen, every time
I struggled for a little while to understand this poem, but I finally think I have an understanding of it. The lines in a normal font are the words of a young girl who is likely just beginning to menstruate, and the italicized lines are the words of an older, experienced woman telling the younger woman what to expect and how to deal with this new segregation.
Menstrual huts are very small buildings away from the home where a menstruating woman is sent because she is viewed as "unclean". The practice is rooted in Hindu traditions and is practiced in many countries all over the world. However, the poor ventilation in the huts and the open conditions can be dangerous and even fatal. The poem never explicitly mentions menstruation except in the title, the only reference is to "blood". Blood is a very powerful image. Blood is a life force, and it connects us to our family. The repeated reference to blood creates a powerful connotation.
The first stanza of the poem first deals with the young woman's loneliness and wishing to see the moon. She asks how she can "listen to the moon," which shows how segregated she feels from the natural world. In this hut, she cannot even see the moon or feel the night. The second voice responds, saying that her "blood will listen," which probably refers to the way that periods can be related to the moon phases. It also relates to the sisterhood that is felt by the women sharing these huts. They are all exiled from their homes and shunned by their male relatives while they are menstruating, so they really only have each other.
The second stanza goes on and the young speaker says that she "knew a way to feel the sun". This implies that she was once free to do as she pleased before she entered her menstruating years. In the next line, she uses a metaphor to refer to herself as a "statue". This refers to the way that men would view her as a woman. The other voice responds that "even with the ruins on the moon," her "blood will listen". Even while the women are considered unclean and ruined, the other women, their "blood," will be there for them.
Finch uses the two voices in this poem to demonstrate the sisterhood felt between the women as well as the segregation from others.
This is a really interesting poem and you did a great analysis on it. I think it's interesting that you point out how the word menstruation is never used in the actual poem; it is almost as if the author doesn't want to use the word because he/she doesn't want the narrators to acknowledge it or to demonstrate they simply doesn't understand it. Also, your point about blood being key to this poem is very important to your analysis and well written. I really like how you organized this post and continually referenced the text and followed it with an analysis, it works really well. You did a great job mentioning the literary devices being used in the poem which makes your analysis really strong and supports your opinions well. Great work!
ReplyDeleteI like that you use the introduction to clarify the poem, and in a way summarize it to the allow your analysis to be more critical and less of a retelling. The background you gave on menstrual huts is also helpful as it gives insight to the poem as well as show your competence in analyzing the work. I like that you explain the exact word choice, referring with quotes to the poem to strengthen your work. The only thing I wish you could have added is an analysis of the change of tone for each character, as the poem brings a unique chance to compare with the two distinct voices. Really interesting poem choice and good analysis!
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