Fletcher McGee
By Edgar Lee Masters
She took my strength by minutes,
She took my life by hours,
She drained me like a fevered moon
That saps the spinning world.
The days went by like shadows,
The minutes wheeled like stars.
She took the pity from my heart,
And made it into smiles.
She was a hunk of sculptor’s clay,
My secret thoughts were fingers:
They flew behind her pensive brow
And lined it deep with pain.
They set the lips, and sagged the cheeks,
And drooped the eyes with sorrow.
My soul had entered in the clay,
Fighting like seven devils.
It was not mine, it was not hers;
She held it, but its struggles
Modeled a face she hated,
And a face I feared to see.
I beat the windows, shook the bolts.
I hid me in a corner, and
And then she died and haunted me,
And hunted me for life.
Summary of Fletcher McGee
- A Confession of a Troubled Soul: Edgar Lee Masters’ “Fletcher McGee” is a poignant confessional poem, first appearing in the 1908 collection The Poems of Edgar Lee Masters. The poem presents a chilling first‑person account of a man grappling with guilt and despair following the death of his wife. It is less a straightforward narrative and more an unveiling of a deeply disturbed psyche.
- The Cycle of Despair: Fletcher McGee’s story is one of a relationship consumed by negativity. He details how his wife seemingly drained his vitality, diminishing his joy and replacing it with a hollow emptiness. This is not presented as simple blame, but as a disturbing portrayal of mutual destruction. The poem explores how resentment and bitterness can fester, ultimately leading to tragic consequences.
- Themes of Guilt and Haunting: The central idea of the poem revolves around the complex emotions of guilt and the lingering power of the past. McGee does not explicitly confess to directly causing his wife’s death, but his words strongly suggest a profound responsibility. He is “haunted” and “hunted” by her memory, trapped in a perpetual state of regret and suffering. The poem is a stark examination of the psychological toll of a broken relationship and the burden of unresolved guilt.
Analysis of “Fletcher McGee”
Unraveling the Speaker’s Perspective
The power of “Fletcher McGee” lies in its deeply unsettling perspective. The speaker, McGee, does not present himself as a villain, but as a victim of his wife’s perceived actions. The opening lines immediately establish this dynamic: “She took my strength by minutes, she took my life by hours.” This language isn’t one of physical abuse, but of emotional depletion. He portrays himself as slowly being eroded, drained of vitality, and ultimately left a shell of his former self. However, this initial presentation of victimhood is immediately complicated by the disturbing imagery that follows.
The extended metaphor of the wife as “a hunk of sculptor’s clay” is profoundly disturbing. It suggests that McGee viewed his wife not as an independent person, but as a malleable object to be shaped and molded to his desires. The line, “My secret thoughts were fingers: they flew behind her pensive brow and lined it deep with pain,” reveals a disturbing possessiveness and a willingness to inflict emotional harm. He actively shapes her appearance, not with affection, but with the deliberate intention of creating a visage that reflects his own discontent. This is not love; it is control masked as artistry. He does not cherish her; he crafts her, and in doing so, reveals a chilling lack of empathy.
The Significance of Imagery and Metaphor
Masters masterfully employs imagery and metaphor to convey the poem’s dark themes. The simile “She drained me like a fevered moon” is particularly striking. The moon, often associated with tranquility and beauty, is presented as a destructive force, slowly consuming the speaker’s life force. The “fevered” aspect suggests illness and instability, hinting at the unhealthy dynamic of their relationship. The moon doesn’t gently illuminate; it burns, consuming everything in its path. This connects to the idea that McGee sees his wife as a source of suffering, not solace.
The metaphor of the clay is central to understanding McGee’s psychological state. He doesn’t see his wife as a person with her own thoughts and feelings, but as an object to be manipulated. This dehumanization allows him to justify his actions and to avoid taking responsibility for the pain he inflicts. The lines “It was not mine, it was not hers; she held it, but its struggles modeled a face she hated” are particularly chilling. He recognizes that the face he’s creating is one of suffering, yet he continues to sculpt it, driven by his own internal turmoil. The ambiguity of “It was not mine, it was not hers” suggests a shared complicity in the destruction, as if both are trapped in a destructive cycle.
Examining the Poetic Devices
Beyond the dominant imagery, Masters utilizes a range of poetic devices to enhance the poem’s impact. Enjambment, the continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line to the next, is prevalent throughout the poem. For example, “She drained me like a fevered moon / That saps the spinning world.” This creates a sense of unease and restlessness, mirroring the speaker’s disturbed mental state. The lack of pauses forces the reader to rush through the lines, reflecting McGee’s own agitated state.
Consonance, the repetition of consonant sounds, also contributes to the poem’s unsettling atmosphere. The repetition of the “s” sound in lines like “They set the lips, and sagged the cheeks” creates a hissing, sinister effect. This subtle sonic texture reinforces the feeling of something being eroded and broken down. Assonance, the repetition of vowel sounds, is less prominent but can be observed in lines like “My secret thoughts were fingers,” creating a subtle musicality that underscores the poem’s underlying tension.
Literary Devices in Depth
- Symbolism: The “clay” itself is a powerful symbol representing the malleability of the wife and the speaker’s desire to control her. It also symbolizes the speaker’s own inner turmoil and the “modeling” of his own despair onto her. The clay isn’t just a material; it represents the fragility of the human psyche.
- Irony: The poem contains a subtle situational irony. McGee expresses a sense of being haunted, but his actions are the very reason for the haunting. He is both victim and perpetrator. He laments his fate, yet refuses to acknowledge his role in creating it.
- Imagery: The vivid imagery of sculpting and molding is central to the poem’s impact, creating a disturbing visual representation of the speaker’s destructive tendencies. The reader can almost see McGee shaping his wife’s features, imposing his will upon her.
- Diction: Masters’ choice of words is precise and evocative, contributing to the poem’s overall tone of despair and guilt. Words like “drained,” “sapped,” and “haunted” carry a heavy emotional weight. The verbs particularly emphasize a sense of depletion and loss.
Quotes to Consider
The following lines encapsulate the poem’s central themes and can be used to illustrate its complex emotions:
“I beat the windows, shook the bolts.
I hid me in a corner, and
And then she died and haunted me,
And hunted me for life.”
This passage reveals the speaker’s desperation and his inability to escape the consequences of his actions. He is trapped in a cycle of guilt and regret, forever haunted by the memory of his wife. The imagery of being “hunted” is particularly striking, suggesting that his wife’s memory is a relentless pursuer. It’s a powerful conclusion that underscores the devastating consequences of a toxic relationship and the enduring weight of unresolved guilt.