The Woman Inside by Michael Blumenthal

     This is a really interesting poem. The first two lines already made me question who this woman was, and what type of person the persona could be for saying such a thing. The persona then describes this woman, yet I still couldn't figure out who she was after reading the poem. The only thing I got from the poem at first reading was that the persona was a man who thinks there is a woman inside of him, and that can be seen in several lines. It would definitely be odd if the persona was a woman and she's talking about a woman inside of her; that would be too redundant. I like the imagery that this poem evokes such as the "lilac," "darkness...light and light," and "lust...tenderness gone wild." The references to mythology was also a plus for me because I really love stories or poems that allude or use references to other works. The last few lines of the poem make me feel sad for the persona because he imagines this woman inside of him but in reality, wakes all by himself. My initial guess to this woman inside of him was the Virgin Mary because of the images I formed in my mind due to "angels" and "light," but after a few more readings, I figured that the persona wasn't probably referring to anyone specific. I don't really know what to feel. Unlike the persona, I don't feel a woman inside of me.