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Amber Murphy
AP Lit 2B
Dr. Cusatis
8 January 2010
Sharon Ols
Author o! ei"ht su##ess!ul $olumes o! poetry% Sharon Ols has permanently
en"raine her si"nature onto the &orl o! &ritin". Mentione alon"sie the "reat le"ens
o! poetry su#h as Syl$ia Plath% Anne Se'ton an (alt (hitman% Ols has !ollo&e in the
!ootsteps o! these three poets to a e"ree% but she has also #reate her o&n ientity in
poetry% asie !rom their in!luen#es.
Sharon Ols &as born on )o$ember 1*% 1*+2 in San ,ran#is#o% Cali!ornia. She
spent most o! her #hilhoo in Ber-ley% Cali!ornia% #onstantly reain" no$els #o$er to
#o$er thus be"innin" her lo$e !or &ritin" an poetry. .n 1*/+ Ols re#ei$e her BA
e"ree !rom Stan!or 0ni$ersity. 0nsatis!ie &ith an a$era"e BA% she returne to s#hool
an attene Columbia 0ni$ersity &here she obtaine a Ph. D in 1n"lish. Soon a!ter her
issertation ha been #omplete% Marianne Ma#onal% 2ournalist !or The Nation, states%
3.t &as there% on the steps o! the Lo& Library 4at Columbia 0ni$ersity5 that she mae her
$o&. 67his is be!ore these horrible Satan murers an Satani# #ults% an . on8t -no&
&hy Satan9 perhaps be#ause the #hilhoo "o . belie$e in &as puniti$e% harsh an not a
!or"i$in" presen#e8: ;MM<. A##orin" to the Di#tionary o! Literary Bio"raphy% the
un!or"i$in" "o Ols e'perien#e throu"hout her #hilhoo &as not the only harsh an
primiti$e obsta#le in her li!e= Cassanra >ant &rites% 34Ols5 "re& up in a istin#tly
reli"ious home. Ols an her siblin"s &ere sub2e#te to physi#al abuse by both parents.
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(hen she &as in her !orties% her !ather ie !rom #an#er. 7hese e$ents% as &ell as others
su#h as the births o! her #hilren% ser$e as a "enerati$e sour#e !or mu#h o! her &or-.:
;CZ). Basi#ally% e$ery poem publishe in any o! Ols ei"ht boo-s o! poetry is#uss
ama"e !amily relationships bet&een both o! her parents% siblin"s an e$en
"ranparents as &ell as her relations &ith her #hilren.
Be#ause Ols has #onstantly been lin-e to Syl$ia Plath% her poetry has #onstantly
been re!erre to as #on!essional poetry? an althou"h Ols re!uses to label her poetry in
the #on!essional sense% most #riti#s $ie& her poetry as almost entirely !a#tual. Ols% in an
inter$ie& &ith Marianne Ma#onal% @uotes% 3Poems li-e mineA. on8t #all them
#on!essional% &ith that tone o! amittin" to &ron"9oin". My poems ha$e one more
a##usin" than amittin". . #all &or- li-e mine 6apparently personal8. Or in my #ase%
6apparently $ery personal8:. ;MM< 6Apparently personal8 is an unerstatement. Ols is a
$ery re#lusi$e person= ob$iously ue to #hilhoo abuse an resentment to&ars both o!
her parents% it is entirely unerstanable that Ols &ishes to -eep her past a se#ret. Poetry
bein" Ols es#ape% she &rites &illin"ly about e$ents that ha$e s#arre an o$er2oye her
throu"hout her li!e.
Ber numerous a&ars !or poetry ha$e spo-en !or her la#- o! publi#ity% ho&e$er.
(innin" almost t&enty a&ars in#luin" t&o )ational Boo- Criti#s Cir#le A&ars !or
The Dead and the Living ;1*8+< an The Unswept Room ;2002<% an the 7.S. 1liot PriCe
short list !or The Father ;1**2<% Ols has 2ustly establishe hersel! amon" #ontemporary
&riters.
,o#usin" hea$ily on normally #onsiere 3taboo: sub2e#ts% Ols e'ploits !amily
trauma% physi#al abuse% an "raphi# se'ual e'perien#es. Ob$iously #rossin" the line
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bet&een &hat is a##eptable to &rite about an &hat is tolerate &hen &ritten about% Ols
emolishes any pre$ious traitions on &hat moern poets shoul openly is#uss an they
shoul lea$e unattene.
Eather than beatin" aroun the bush or #enterin" on hien #on#epts% Ols "ets
her point a#ross in a strai"ht!or&ar manner. Ols !irst boo- o! poetry% Satan Says% &as
publishe in 1*80. (ith poems in her !irst boo-% Satan Says, su#h as% 3Prayer%: ;1*80<
3Satan Says%: ;1*80< an 3Eepubli#an Li$in" Eooms%: ;1*80< Ols uses brute i#tion%
!ree $erse% an e'pli#it lan"ua"e to ensure that the auien#e unerstans e'a#tly &hat she
is tryin" #on$ey. 7hrou"hout the poem title% 3Satan Says%: the narrator% a youn" "irl%
stru""les to 6&rite8 her &ay out o! the bo' she has been trappe in. Losin" her &ill to
es#ape% Satan mysteriously appears in the bo' an o!!ers his help% &hi#h she a##epts
!reely. Ols &rites% 3Satan #omes to me in the lo#-e bo'F an says% !"" get yo# o#t. Say$
my %ather is a shit. . sayF my !ather is a shit an Satan lau"hs an says% t!s opening...&
;SS 1<. 7he poem #ontinues in a similar !ormat= Satan !or#es the narrator to humiliate her
parents to re#ei$e her !reeom. 7o&ars the en% the youn" "irl be"ins enyin" Satan8s
help% realiCin"% 3...the suenly is#o$ere -no&le"e o! lo$e: ;SS 2<. Per#eptibly% the
boo-% Satan Says, is one o! Ols most is#usse boo-s. Praise by #riti# Carole Stone% !or
its ra& epi#tions o! se'ual #on!usion an realiCation o! the &orl aroun her% 3Satan
Says%: is one o! Ols most pro$o#ati$e poems.
A##orin" to Stone% 3Satan Says%: is an a##urate epi#tion o! &hat "ro&in" up in
a househol similar to hell &oul be li-e. Stone states% 37he !irst poem o! the boo-%
Satan Says, establishes Ols use o! se'ual &ors% &hi#h% in the #onte't o! &ritin" about
her parents% are espe#ially sho#-in". She e'presses ra"e an hurt on a personal le$el%
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establishes hersel! as a poet% not a 6poetess%8 an brea-s &ith the traition asso#iate &ith
"enteel poeti# !oremothers...: ;CS +<.
Ols8s poem% 3Prayer%: also publishe in Ols !irst boo-% Satan Says, is an
un#ensore% se'ually "raphi# poem usin" $i$i ima"ery an illusions to saist pain
throu"hout the stanCas. .n 3Prayer%: Ols oes not lea$e any tou#h% -iss or sensation
unattene. Ols "enerally "raphi#ally es#ribes ea#h se'ually liberatin" mo$ement &ith
a ne& outloo- on ho& it shoul be portraye.
.n% 3Eepubli#an Li$in" Eooms%: a poem to&ars the en o! the boo- in% Satan
Says, Ols &ells on so#ial statuses% separatin" the ri#h !rom the poor% republi#ans !rom
the emo#rats an so on. 7he poem reas% 3....a!ter most o! the "uests ha$e "oneF ....on
the #arpet% the host is -neelin" on the throat o! a &omanF &hen she ies he "litters &ith
e'#itement% his li!e ma-es sense...: ;SS 1/<. Pro$in" that there is al&ays "oo an ba on
ea#h sie o! the spe#trum% Ols pla#es the ri#h in an intan"ible lo#ation= instea o!
pla#in" them abo$e the rest o! the &orl% she puts them belo&.
37he Connoisseur o! Slu"s%: is one o! $ery !e& humorous poems &ritten by Ols.
,ully es#ribin" the narrator8s !as#ination an respe#t !or slu"s% the en o! the poem
une'pe#tely relates to male "enetalia= Ols &rites% 3.... &oul stan there in silen#eF
untilF the slu" !or"ot . &as thereF an sent its antennae up...: )ear the en o! the poem%
she es#ribes it in relations to a man8s ere#tion. Ols &rites% 3. "aspe &ith pleasure to
see that @uiet% mystery reena#teF the slo& ele"ant bein" #omin" out o! hiin"F ....so
trustin" you #oul &eep: ;SS<. Ols #an easily relate to her thou"hts o! se'uality to e$en
the most a$era"e aspe#ts o! li!e in her poetry.
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3Eite o! Passa"e%: ;1*8+< a !re@uently re$ie&e poem is#usses the @ui#-ly
in#reasin" pa#e o! one8s a"e. 7he narrator e'#laims her prie an amusement o! her son8s
se$enth birthay party% es#ribin" the other boys as the% 3...men in !irst "rae: as i! they
are aults in their !orties. A##orin" to Barol Bea$er% eu#ator an eitor o! the New
'or( Times% 3...at her son8s birthay party% he an his !riens trans!orm into somethin"
bet&een a ban-ers8 #on!eren#e an a &ar "ame: ;Bea$er<. 3Eite o! Passa"e%: is an
amusin" poem es#ribin" the "ro&th an #han"e throu"hout one8s li!e. 7he narrator in
this poem is oin" an e'traorinary 2ob in &at#hin" her #hil "ro& up.
The Dead and the Living ;1*8+< is perhaps Ols most popular boo-. 3O! All the
Dea 7hat Ba$e Come to Me% 7his On#e%: is the narrator8s tale o! her abusi$e
"ran!ather star$in" she an her sister% an re!usin" to spea- &ith him i! he returns !rom
the ea. 3. ha$e ne$er &ritten a"ainst the ea....F. thou"ht o! ho& he put the empty
plate in !ront o! my sisterF ....)o. . sai% Let this one be ea: ;SS 18<. Carole Stone
a"rees &ith the unbearable resentments to&ars Ols8 !amily% statin"% 3...Ols #ontinues
the narrati$e o! her traumati# #hilhoo &ith "raphi# physi#al an emotional etail. .n
The Dead and the Living, the #ast o! #hara#ters in#lues a #ruel "ran!ather% run-en an
$iolent !ather% bitter an passi$e mother an saisti# sister...: ;CS< The Dead and the
Living presents a more mature an s-ille $ersion o! Ols #hilhoo an is a te#hni#ally
impro$e step !rom Satan Says.
.n 3Bestiary%: !rom% The Dead and the Living, Ols not only is#usses #hilren%
but also re!ers to se'ual "ro&th an #uriosity #on#ernin" the #hilren. 3Bestiary%: be"ins
&ith a se$en year ol boy &ho as-s his mother about bestiality. Ols &rites% 3...our son
as-s me i! people #an mate &ith animals. . say it harly e$er happensF ,lushe pantin"%
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hot !or physi#s% he thin-s aboutF lyn'es% ea"les% pythons% mos@uitoes% "irls...F&antin" to
-no& e'a#tly ho& the &orl &as meant to re#ei$e him: ;DFL D0<. .t is unerstanably
sho#-in" to rea su#h un#ensore ieas ealin" &ith #hilren an se'ual thou"hts
#ombine% but i! there is one thin" Ols is not a!rai to o% it is $iolate the reaers8
#om!ort le$els.
Ols &rites about a similar sub2e#t in her poem% 37he One Hirl at the Boys8
Party.: Dis#ussin" the surrounin" boys8 thou"hts on the narrator8s au"hter as she enters
an e'its the pool= 37hey &ill strip to their suits% her boy har an ini$isibleF....she &ill
see their eyes% t&o ea#hF their le"s% t&o ea#h% an the #ur$es o! their se'es% one ea#h...:
;DFL D1<. 37he Hirl at the One Boys Party%: rein!or#es Ols obsessions &ith #hilren an
their se'ual e'perien#es.
.n her 1*8I boo-% The )o"d Ce"", Ols uses isturbin" an si#-enin" lan"ua"e to
es#ribe the pro$o-in"% sa poem% 37he Hirl.: ;1*8I< 0n!ortunately% base on the rape
an murer o! t&o youn" "irls% this poem reena#ts the stoma#h #len#hin" story o! these
t&o youn" "irls an their rape= the poem reas% 37he #hase her an her !rien throu"h
the &oosF....the blone &as rapin" an stabbin" her !rienF....&hen she &o-e up she sa&
the ea boy o! her best !rien: ;)C +0<. One o! Ols most ar- poems% 37he Hirl%:
opens auien#es eyes to &hat the &orl is #omin" to. ,ortunately% this poem oes en on
a positi$e note= 3...1$ery ni"ht she prays !or the soul o! her best !rienF...she -no&s &hat
all o! us &ant to ne$er -no& an she oes the #art&heels% the splitsF an sha-es the
shree pom9pom in her !ists: ;)C +1<. Althou"h the youn" "irl e'perien#e the most
traumatiCin" e$ent anyone #an ima"ine% she sur$i$e an -ept hope ali$e by li$in" ay to
ay.
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Also in Ols8 boo-% The )o"d Ce"", 3. Ho Ba#- to May 1*DI%: &as publishe.
Amon" the more solemn poems% Ols e'presses her stru""le &ith her !amily an re"ret
o! her li!e but e$entually a##epts her "i!t o! li!e. She &rites%
. &ant to "o up to them an say stopF on8t o it% she8s the &ron" &omanF he8s the
&ron" man% you are "oin" to o thin"sF you #annot ima"ine you &oul e$er oF
you are "oin" to o ba thin"s to your #hilrenF you are "oin" to su!!er . &ays
you ha$e not hear o!F you are "oin" to &ant to ie...FBut . on8t o it. . &ant to
li$eF . say% Do &hat you are "oin" to o an . &ill tell about it ;)C ++<.
3. Ho Ba#- to May 1*DI%: is one o! Ols most inno$ati$e poems9 is#ussin" time tra$el%
stru""lin" &ith internal purpose an a##eptin" !ate% this poem sho&s ho& personal Ols8s
&ritin"s #onsistently are.
The Father publishe in 1**2% portrays an entire boo- !ille &ith numerous
poems all base on one #entral them= Ols8s !ather8s eath an &ay she hanles it. .n one
o! the !irst poems o! the boo-% Ols es#ribes her !iery hatre !or her !ather. .n% 3. (ante
to be 7here (hen my ,ather Die%: ;1**2< the narrator es#ribe her etest !or her !ather
an her hope to &at#h him su!!er. 7his poem is emotionally isturbin" be#ause it
blatantly #urses her !ather8s li!e an en#oura"es his eath. Pra#ti#ally unhear o!% let
alone &ritten about% this poem persuaes the reaer to belie$e that Ols li!e &as torturous
&ith her !amily9espe#ially% ob$iously &ith her !ather.
.n% 3My ,ather Spea-s to me ,rom the Dea%: ;1**2< the spea-er is not the usual
youn" "irl or !iery &oman% it is the male !i"ure tal-e about in hunres o! Ols8 poems=
her !ather. 0sin" a i!!erent narrator% a #unnin" tone an pro$o#ati$e ima"ery% this poem
s#reams #hilhoo ni"htmares. Ols &rites% 3. lo$e your% &hat #an . #all it bet&een your
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le"s% &e ne$er name it? the "lint an purity o! its #urls...: ;, I*<. 7his &ron" an
se'ually isturbin" poem runs eep throu"h Ols $eins. A!ter her physi#ally abusi$e
relationship &ith her !ather "ro&in" up% one #oul only assume that the se'ual re!eren#es
as mentione by the !ather ha truly happene in Ols8 past.
Asie !rom all o! her "ut &ren#hin"% heart brea-in" problems% Ols poem% 37he
Ea#e%: is one o! her most tou#hin" poems. Set in an airport shuttle% 37he Ea#e%: be"ins
&ith a youn" &oman esperately tryin" to #at#h a !li"ht to see her !ather a!ter bein" tol
he &oul not ma-e it throu"h the ni"ht. 1'perien#in" e$ery obsta#le possible% the
narrator be"ins runnin" to&ars her estination. (ith brilliant ima"ery% Ols paints the
per!e#t pi#ture o! the unbrea-able bons o! lo$e. 7he poem reas% 3.... too- a eep breath%
. saiF "oobye to my boy% "oobye to #om!ortF . use my le"s an heart as i! . &oul
"laly use them up !or this is...: ;, /D<. 7his line o! beauty sho&s a suen #han"e in
emotions Ols has rarely sho&e her reaers. 37he Ea#e%: ens on a "oo note% 3.
&al-e o&n the aisle to&ars my !ather...F. &ept as thou"h people &eep &hen they enter
Bea$en% in massi$e relie!...all ni"ht . &at#he him breathe%: ;, /0< . 37he Ea#e%: brin"s
out a #ompassionate sie o! Ols that is rarely e$er seen throu"h her poetry.
.n her !i!th boo-% The *e""spring, ;1**/< Ols lets in auien#es a se#on time to
$ie& her #ompassionate an intimate sie. 3Bathin" the )e& Born%: is a simple poem
that !o#uses on e'a#tly &hat the title in#lues. (ith lines su#h as% 3...(hen . "et him too
soapy he8 Fslie in my "rip li-e an arm!ul o! buttere nooles% but .8 hol him not too
ti"ht...: ;(S *D<. 7his poem !o#uses on the #herishe relationships bet&een a mother an
her #hil% an instea o! harpin" on her o&n battere #hilhoo% Ols is !inally !o#usin"
on hers.
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.n +"ood, Tin, and Straw, Ols has an e'traorinary poem% title% 37he
Promise%:&hi#h is#usses t&o $ery in lo$e youn" #ouples &orrie about their !utures an
"ro&in" ol. .n% 37he Promise%: the spea-ers are ar"uin" about eath. 1a#h partner !ears
that the other &ill be relu#tant to 6pull the plu"8 i! one happens to slip into a #oma or 6turn
into a $e"etable8. 7he line that best es#ribes this poem is near the en &here Ols
&rites% 3...i! the ropes binin" your soul are your o&n &rists% . &ill #ut them%: ;(S 110<.
7his must be a #ommon !ear !or numerous people. 7he ma2ority o! people o not &ant to
be -ept ali$e o!! o! a ma#hine% an that is e'a#tly &hat this poem is is#ussin". (ith a
play on &ors su#h as% 3...&e are at it a"ain% rene&in" our promise to -ill ea#h other...:
an% 3. tell you% you o not -no& me i! you thin- . &ill not -ill you: ;+TS 10*< Ols
-eeps the reaer intereste in &hat the true meanin" behin the poem is.
Capti$atin" li-e an open &oun spillin" &ith se#rets% pains an re"rets% Sharon
Ols has yet to be#ome prei#table. Ols &or-s are purely #on!essional% an she uses
e$ery rop o! autobio"raphy she #an pull !rom &ithin hersel!% &hi#h ma-e her poems
#ompletely honest an !orthri"ht. As state by Jatie Daniels% re$ie&er o! Ols8s &or-s%
3...&ithout abanonin" her #hara#teristi# intensity% 4Ols5 #ontinues to is@uiet an
issenter% but in a ne&ly ruminati$e $oi#e that bespea-s the 2ourney o! mili!e: ;CS G<.
Sharon.Ols $olunteers at Hol&ater Bospital on a &ee-ly basis to rea to less
!ortunate $i#tims o! abuse or a##ients an to -eep poetry a#ti$e in the #ommunity. Ols
is #urrently li$in" in a small siCe apartment in Manhattan% )e& Kor-. Ber most re#ent
boo- &as publishe in May 2008% an she is still &ritin" on a aily basis.