“A Jelly-Fish” by Marianne Moore
is a short, concise poem with a much deeper theme. Moore opens it with a juxtaposition
of opposites, “visible, invisible, / a fluctuating charm” (1-2). This second
line provides insight into the use these contrasting adjectives. The jellyfish shifts.
It is unstable. It “quivers” (7). Thus, Moore employs this technique to portray
the altering state of the jellyfish. Its “ fluctuating charm” (2) is seen again
in Moore’s contrasting word choice of “opens / and it closes” (5-6). These
lines also mimic the movement of the
jellyfish. This undulation is seen, not only in the word choice, but the
structure of the poem as well. The lines alternate from no indentation to an indentation.
By doing this, Moore further emphasizes the jellyfish’s swimming pattern.
Another way Moore illustrates
the swimming of the jellyfish is through the rhyme scheme. Moore rhymes lines 2
and 4 (“charm” and “arm”), as well as 6 and 8 (“meant” and “intent”). This
variation highlights the changes in the jellyfish and human. The jellyfish is
not the only creature in this poem that changes. The person begins with the
intention of grabbing the jellyfish, which he then deserts.
The human and the jellyfish
are also paralleled through movement. As the hand opens and closes, it imitates
the manner in which the jellyfish swims.
I was unsure how to take this
poem. After reading it the first time, I thought Moore was referencing a human’s
ever-changing, and sometimes fickle, desires. Just as the person in “Jelly-fish”
gives up his plan to grab the jellyfish, many people abandon their dreams or
ideas. I then read it a second time and thought a little more about the
metaphorical use of the jellyfish. When one touches a jellyfish, they get
stung. Perhaps, Moore uses this animal for more than what I initially assumed. A
jellyfish is beautiful, yet harmful to the touch. What if its purpose was to exemplify
the idea that not everything that is attractive and the one desires should be
attained? Maybe it is a cautionary tale. I am still uncertain on this.
I can definitely see evidence for both your ideas on the meaning of the poem. With the first one, we all have dreams that we (at least slightly) give up on. Our dreams now are not the dreams we had as children. The dreams we had as children were given up and forgotten. And the second idea about somethings that we want being perhaps dangerous to us. The only example I can think of is maybe a persons desire for a certain significant other who wouldn't be good for them. Maybe they would just lead the other person on or perhaps even cheat on them, thus breaking the heart of the person who initially desired them.
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