Introduction
Literature can be defined as source of written works language, period and culture; it is an imaginative or creative writing in expressing feeling of the author. It is also different with other science that known on academic because literature deal with our feeling in order to understand hidden meaning in those art works and usually it will create an ambiguous perception between reader. Usually Literature contains of poem, short story, drama that has feminism, love, gay/lesbian value on it, on the other hand it also included some theories like the other science-subject.
I choose “Witch-wife” poem by Edna St.Vincent Millay. Personally I like Edna V Millay poetry; she is deserved as one of America best-love poets. She wrote many poems in traditional sonnet form, on topics such as love, fidelity, erotic desire, and feminist issues in twentieth-century. One of her famous works is “Witch-wife”, this is my favorite poem all the time because it contains passion of love and fascinating when you realize how the poem which written by woman author show much desire of love to a woman also. I will try to find hidden meaning and explore deeper on the poem “Witch-wife” By Edna St.Vincent Millay based on deconstruction theory and show how the deconstruction theory appropriate for gay/lesbian poetry analysis.
Analysis
Based on Lesbian, this “Witch-wife” poem is used to express feeling and desire love of Edna Millay to a woman who interpret as witch-wife but I will use Deconstruction theory to analysis this poem so another meaning from this poem could appear. “Witch-Wife” is the title of this poem but when we observe it, the title made a clearly refers to woman who is married or have husband (wife) and witch can define as something that magic or evil.
First line in the first stanza “She is neither pink nor pale”, when we look at the line it seems that I read she is neither happy nor sad. Pink color usually identified as something wonderful, happy or lively on the other hand pale refers to something dead and sad. It is contrast combination appears on this line and the next line confirms it She will never be possessed. “And she never will be all mine”. This line is special because it will be repeated later as the last line.
The third line in first stanza “She learned her hands in a fairy-tale,” and the forth line “And her mouth on a valentine.” It seems the author saying the witch-wife has learned all her life through her fantasy world. Her hands is what she does, the witch-wife does imaginary side of her life. Her mouth is defined as what she says on a valentine which something romantic, both of these things having been learned in the realm of the imaginary and romantic. In the first stanza, it begins to be apparent to me that the author knew very well and express any detail of witch-wife in this poem.
The second stanza begins with “She has more hair than she needs” it describes that the witch-wife has very long hair more than she needs and in the next line “In the sun this is woe to me” In the sun deal with our sight sense which eyes. In this line show that the author express her jealously to the witch-wife because when looks on her, she suffer that can’t be the witch-wife.
Third line on the second stanza “And her voice is a string of colored beads,” and “Or steps leading to the sea.” The words her voice in this line revive this character and show how wonderful of the witch-wife. Her beauty (specifically her wisdom) of the witch-wife beyond ordinary like string of colored beads that described by Millay while “or steps leading to the sea” sound wonderful but who is it wants to walk into the sea? This means suicide for us. In this line show that the witch-wife has such powerful magic which her beauty to make us consumed by it and do anything for her even kill ourselves.
The last stanza begins with “She loves me all that she can” from this line we can conclude the author and the witch-wife known each other because the witch-wife loves her very much till her maximum limit. In next line “And her way to my ways resign” seems that both of them choose different path and break their relationship away.
The third line “But she was not made for any man” In the line “But she was not made for any man”, all of the witch wife womanly qualities is not worthy for any man then who is worthy to the witch wife? She may willingly to be love by man but her existence not for man and her realization of this is what makes her the witch-wife. It will make sense if we conclude that the witch wife is special sort of woman who lesbian. The last line on this poem has repeated from the second line “And she never will be all mine” then question appear why this witch wife can’t be someone else possession? Because she is her own possession, and she lives her life in an awareness of that fact, the witch-wife is some part of herself who is homosexual.
Conclusion
Deconstruction theory tends to be much more emotive than structuralism. The meanings words have never can be guaranteed one hundred percent pure because the words contain implicit meaning. It also drives us to think deeper about hidden meaning in poetry and indirectly it help us in using our critical thinking to understand what the author tries to express in their literary works. This theory is appropriate in analyzing gay/lesbian piece of literature. According to me, the deconstruction theory can be used in “Witch-wife” poem by Edna St.Vincent Millay. From lesbian-feminism view this poem express Millay feeling to her lover whom already married but personally I think is about a self-portrait poem and describe part of her homosexual being.
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