Mrs. Midas by Carol Ann Duffy

 This poem, titled "Midas", is a contemporary reimagining of the myth of King Midas, who was granted the golden touch.

Midas: A Stanza-by-Stanza Analysis

Stanza 1:

Heading: The Golden Touch

Poetic Lines:

It was late September. I’d just poured a glass of wine, begun

to unwind, while the vegetables cooked. The kitchen

filled with the smell of itself, relaxed, its steamy breath

gently blanching the windows. So I opened one,

then with my fingers wiped the other’s glass like a brow.

He was standing under the pear tree snapping a twig.

Now the garden was long and the visibility poor, the way

the dark of the ground seems to drink the light of the sky,

but that twig in his hand was gold.

Summary:

The poem begins with a peaceful domestic scene, but this is quickly disrupted when the speaker notices her husband outside, turning a twig to gold.   

Analysis:

The initial domesticity sets up a contrast with the fantastical element of the golden touch. The language is sensory, creating a vivid picture of the kitchen and garden. The last line, "but that twig in his hand was gold," is a stark and sudden introduction of Midas's power.   

Stanza 2:

Heading: Midas's Power

Poetic Lines:

And then he plucked

a pear from a branch. – we grew Fondante d’Automne –

and it sat in his palm, like a lightbulb. On.

I thought to myself, Is he putting fairy lights in the tree?

Summary:

Midas continues to demonstrate his golden touch, transforming a pear into gold. The speaker is initially confused and somewhat amused by his actions.

Analysis:

The simile "like a lightbulb. On." emphasizes the pear's sudden transformation and brilliance. The speaker's question about fairy lights shows her disbelief and her attempt to rationalize the situation.

Stanza 3:

Heading: Midas's Transformation

Poetic Lines:

He came into the house. The doorknobs gleamed.

He drew the blinds. You know the mind; I thought of

the Field of the Cloth of Gold and of Miss Macready.

Summary:

As Midas enters the house, he continues to transform objects into gold. The speaker's thoughts wander to historical and literary references related to gold.

Analysis:

The gleaming doorknobs further illustrate Midas's power. The speaker's thoughts about the Field of the Cloth of Gold and Miss Macready (a character from "The Mill on the Floss" who hoards gold) show her growing concern about the implications of Midas's touch.

Stanza 4:

Heading: Midas's Arrogance

Poetic Lines:

He sat in that chair like a king on a burnished throne.

The look on his face was strange, wild, vain.

I said,

What in the name of God is going on?

He started to laugh.

Summary:

Midas's demeanor changes, and he appears arrogant and self-satisfied. The speaker confronts him, but he dismisses her concerns with laughter.

Analysis:

Midas's transformation is not just physical; it's also affecting his personality. The simile "like a king on a burnished throne" emphasizes his newfound arrogance. His laughter suggests a lack of awareness of the potential consequences of his power.

Stanza 5:

Heading: The Consequences

Poetic Lines:

I served up the meal. For starters, corn on the cob.

Within seconds he was spitting out the teeth of the rich.

He toyed with his spoon, then mine, then with the knives, the forks.

Summary:

The consequences of Midas's touch become immediately apparent when he tries to eat. The food turns to gold in his mouth, making it inedible.

Analysis:

The image of Midas "spitting out the teeth of the rich" is both grotesque and symbolic. It represents the hollowness of material wealth and the inability to find sustenance in gold.

Stanza 6:

Heading: The Golden Chalice

Poetic Lines:

He asked where was the wine. I poured with a shaking hand,

a fragrant, bone-dry white from Italy, then watched

as he picked up the glass, goblet, golden chalice, drank.

It was then that I started to scream.

Summary:

Midas tries to drink wine, but even the wine turns to gold. The speaker, witnessing the full extent of his power and its consequences, is horrified.

Analysis:

The transformation of the wine into a "golden chalice" further emphasizes the destructive nature of Midas's touch. The speaker's scream marks a turning point in the poem, as she realizes the full horror of the situation.

Stanza 7:

Heading: Midas's Regret

Poetic Lines:

He sank to his knees.

After we’d both calmed down, I finished the wine

on my own, hearing him out.

Summary:

Midas, faced with the consequences of his wish, is filled with regret. The speaker, after calming down, listens to his explanation.

Analysis:

Midas's kneeling posture suggests remorse and helplessness. The speaker's act of finishing the wine herself shows her taking control of the situation and asserting her own needs.

Stanza 8:

Heading: Isolation and Adaptation

Poetic Lines:

I made him sit

on the other side of the room and keep his hands to himself.

I locked the cat in the cellar. I moved the phone.

The toilet I didn’t mind.

Summary:

The speaker takes precautions to protect herself and her surroundings from Midas's touch. She isolates him and removes objects that he might touch, adapting to their new reality.

Analysis:

This stanza highlights the practical consequences of Midas's golden touch and the speaker's attempts to manage the situation. The isolation of Midas and the removal of objects show the disruption to their everyday life and the growing distance between them.

Stanza 9:

Heading: The Unfulfilled Wish

Poetic Lines:

I couldn’t believe my ears:

how he’d had a wish. Look, we all have wishes; granted.

But who has wishes granted?

Him.

Do you know about gold?

It feeds no one; aurum, soft, untarnishable; slakes

no thirst.

Summary:

The speaker reflects on the irony of Midas's wish, highlighting the contrast between the allure of gold and its inability to provide sustenance or fulfill basic human needs.

Analysis:

This stanza explores the theme of desire and the consequences of unfulfilled wishes. The speaker's rhetorical questions emphasize the irony of Midas's situation, as his wish for gold has brought him more suffering than satisfaction.

Stanza 10:

Heading: The Golden Cigarette

Poetic Lines:

He tried to light a cigarette; I gazed, entranced,

as the blue flame played on its luteous stem.

At least,

I said, you’ll be able to give up smoking for good.

Summary:

Even Midas's attempt to smoke a cigarette is thwarted by his golden touch. The speaker finds a moment of dark humor in the situation.

Analysis:

The image of the "blue flame played on its luteous stem" creates a visual contrast between the natural and the transformed. The speaker's comment about giving up smoking adds a touch of irony and underscores the absurdity of their situation.

Stanza 11:

Heading: Growing Distance

Poetic Lines:

Separate beds.

in fact, I put a chair against my door,

near petrified.

He was below, turning the spare room

into the tomb of Tutankhamun.

Summary:

The physical and emotional distance between the speaker and Midas grows. The speaker's fear of Midas's touch leads to further isolation and a disruption of their intimacy.

Analysis:

The separation of beds and the barricaded door symbolize the growing divide between the speaker and Midas. The reference to Tutankhamun's tomb foreshadows the potential consequences of Midas's touch, suggesting that it could lead to death and decay.

Stanza 12:

Heading: Lost Intimacy

Poetic Lines:

You see, we were passionate then,

in those halcyon days; unwrapping each other, rapidly,

like presents, fast food.

But now I feared his honeyed embrace,

the kiss that would turn my lips to a work of art.

Summary:

The speaker reflects on their past intimacy, contrasting it with her current fear of Midas's touch. The golden touch has transformed their passionate connection into something cold and lifeless.

Analysis:

This stanza highlights the loss of intimacy and the destructive impact of Midas's power on their relationship. The comparison of their past lovemaking to "unwrapping each other, rapidly, like presents" suggests a sense of spontaneity and joy that is now lost. The speaker's fear of Midas's touch underscores the transformation of their physical connection into something sterile and lifeless.

Stanza 13:

Heading: The Golden Heart

Poetic Lines:

And who, when it comes to the crunch, can live

with a heart of gold?

Summary:

The speaker questions the possibility of a fulfilling relationship with someone whose touch turns everything to gold, suggesting that true connection requires more than material wealth.

Analysis:

This stanza explores the limitations of material wealth and its inability to provide emotional sustenance. The rhetorical question, "who can live with a heart of gold?" emphasizes the incompatibility of Midas's golden touch with genuine human connection.

Stanza 14:

Heading: The Golden Child

Poetic Lines:

That night, I dreamt I bore

his child, its perfect ore limbs, its little tongue

like a precious latch, its amber eyes

holding their pupils like flies.

My dream milk

burned in my breasts.

Summary:

The speaker has a disturbing dream about bearing Midas's child, a child made of gold. The dream symbolizes the destructive potential of Midas's touch and its impact on their future.

Analysis:

The dream of the golden child represents the speaker's fears about the future of their relationship and the potential consequences of Midas's power. The image of the child with "perfect ore limbs" and a "little tongue like a precious latch" is both beautiful and grotesque, highlighting the duality of Midas's touch. The burning milk in her breasts symbolizes the pain and frustration caused by their situation.

Stanza 15:

Heading: Separation

Poetic Lines:

I woke to the streaming sun.

So he had to move out.

We’d a caravan

in the wilds, in a glade of its own.

I drove him up

under the cover of dark.

He sat in the back.

Summary:

The speaker decides that Midas must leave. She drives him to a secluded caravan in the wilderness, further isolating him from human contact.

Analysis:

This stanza marks a turning point in their relationship. The speaker's decision to send Midas away reflects her inability to cope with the consequences of his golden touch. The caravan in the wilderness symbolizes his isolation and the growing distance between them.

Stanza 16:

Heading: The Golden Landscape

Poetic Lines:

And then I came home, the woman who married the fool

who wished for gold.

At first, I visited, odd times,

parking the car a good way off, then walking.

You knew you were getting close.

Golden trout

on the grass.

Summary:

The speaker reflects on her decision to separate from Midas and describes her occasional visits to him. The landscape around his caravan bears the marks of his golden touch, creating a surreal and disturbing environment.

Analysis:

This stanza highlights the lasting consequences of Midas's wish and the speaker's attempts to come to terms with their new reality. The golden trout on the grass symbolize the unnatural transformation of the natural world and the pervasive impact of Midas's power.

Stanza 17:

Heading: Midas's Isolation

Poetic Lines:

One day, a hare hung from a larch,

a beautiful lemon mistake.

And then his footprints,

glistening next to the river’s path.

He was thin,

delirious; hearing, he said, the music of Pan

from the woods.

Summary:

The speaker continues to describe the golden landscape and Midas's deteriorating physical and mental state. His isolation and the constant transformation of his surroundings have taken a toll on him.

Analysis:

The image of the golden hare hanging from the larch further emphasizes the unnatural transformation of the natural world. Midas's "glistening footprints" and his "delirious" state suggest his growing alienation from reality. His claim of hearing the music of Pan hints at a desperate attempt to find meaning and connection in his isolated world.

Stanza 18:

Heading: The Last Straw

Poetic Lines:

Listen.

That was the last straw.

What gets me now is not the idiocy or greed

but lack of thought for me.

Pure selfishness.

Summary:

Midas's claim of hearing Pan's music is the final straw for the speaker. She recognizes his self-absorption and lack of consideration for her feelings, leading to her final decision to leave him.

Analysis:

This stanza marks the culmination of the speaker's growing disillusionment with Midas. His self-absorbed behavior and his inability to recognize the impact of his actions on her lead to her final break. The phrase "pure selfishness" encapsulates her realization of the incompatibility of their needs and desires.

Stanza 19:

Heading: The Speaker's Departure

Poetic Lines:

I sold

the contents of the house and came down here.

Summary:

The speaker leaves Midas, selling their belongings and moving away to start a new life. Her departure symbolizes her liberation from the destructive relationship and her pursuit of her own happiness.

Analysis:

This stanza highlights the speaker's decisive action in breaking free from the toxic relationship. The selling of their belongings represents a symbolic severing of ties and a commitment to moving on. Her departure signifies her newfound independence and her determination to create a life free from the constraints of Midas's golden touch.

Stanza 20:

Heading: Lingering Memories

Poetic Lines:

I think of him in certain lights, dawn, late afternoon,

and once a bowl of apples stopped me dead.

I miss most,

even now, his hands, his warm hands on my skin, his touch.

Summary:

Despite the pain and hardship, the speaker still carries memories of Midas, particularly the warmth of his touch. Her lingering feelings reveal the complexity of their relationship and the enduring power of human connection.

Analysis:

This final stanza offers a poignant reflection on the complexities of love and loss. Despite the destructive nature of Midas's golden touch and his self-absorbed behavior, the speaker still cherishes the memory of their past intimacy. Her longing for his touch highlights the enduring power of human connection and the bittersweet nature of memories.