The Albatross
by Kate Bass
When I know you are coming home
I put on this necklace:
glass beads on a silken thread,
a blue that used to match my eyes.
I like to think I am remembering you.
I like to think you don’t forget.The necklace lies heavy on my skin,
it clatters when I reach down
to lift my screaming child.
I swing her, roll her in my arms until she forgets.
The beads glitter in the flicker of a TV set
as I sit her on my lap
and wish away the afternoon.I wait until I hear a gate latch lift
the turn of a key in the lock.
I sit among toys and unwashed clothes.
I watch as she fingers the beads until you speak
in a voice that no longer seems familiar, only strange.
I turn as our child tugs at the string; I hear a snap and a sound like falling rain.
Summary of The Albatross
“The Albatross,” penned by Kate Bass, is a poignant exploration of loneliness, memory, and quiet desperation within a strained relationship. First published in her 2014 collection The Pasta Maker, the poem centers on a woman navigating motherhood while grappling with emotional distance from her partner. It is deceptively simple, yet rich with implication and subtle emotional weight.
The poem’s central idea is the woman’s fragile attempt to maintain a connection to a past intimacy, symbolized by a beautiful blue necklace. When she wears it in anticipation of her partner’s return, she is not celebrating but striving to conjure a feeling that has largely faded. The “snap” at the poem’s conclusion represents the finality of that loss, a breaking point in a relationship already fraying at the edges.
The title, “The Albatross,” is symbolic. Just as the mariner in Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” is burdened by the albatross, the woman in Bass’s poem carries a weight—the weight of lost love and unfulfilled expectations. This burden informs the poem’s melancholic tone and underlying sense of sadness.
Analysis of Literary and Poetic Devices in “The Albatross”
Kate Bass masterfully employs a range of literary and poetic devices to convey the emotional complexity of the poem. These devices are subtle, deepening the poem’s resonance and creating a sense of quiet desperation.
Imagery and Symbolism
Bass relies heavily on imagery to create a vivid and emotionally charged atmosphere. The necklace itself is the central symbol—representing not just a past intimacy but also the woman’s fragile attempt to recapture it. The color blue, reminiscent of her eyes, further emphasizes a personal connection and fading beauty. Consider these lines:
When I know you are coming home
I put on this necklace:
glass beads on a silken thread,
a blue that used to match my eyes.
The imagery extends beyond the necklace. The description of the screaming child and the flicker of the TV set creates a sense of domestic chaos and emotional emptiness. These details contribute to the overall feeling of weariness and resignation.
Enjambment and Flow
The poem’s use of enjambment—the continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line to the next—creates a natural, conversational flow. This technique mirrors the woman’s internal monologue, allowing her thoughts and feelings to unfold organically. Notice how this functions in these lines:
The necklace lies heavy on my skin,
it clatters when I reach down
to lift my screaming child.
The lack of strong punctuation at the end of each line encourages the reader to continue, mimicking the relentless passage of time and the woman’s inability to escape her emotional state.
Sound Devices: Consonance and Assonance
While the poem does not adhere to a strict rhyme scheme, Bass uses sound devices to create a musicality that enhances its emotional impact. Consonance—the repetition of consonant sounds—creates a subtle sense of harmony and reinforces certain themes. For example, the repetition of the /s/ sound in “she fingers the beads” creates a soft, almost sorrowful tone.
Assonance—the repetition of vowel sounds—also contributes to the poem’s musicality. Notice the repetition of the short /i/ sound in “it clatters… lift,” creating a sense of quickness and nervous energy.
Irony and the Weight of Expectations
The poem operates on a level of subtle irony. The woman is performing a ritual—putting on the necklace—in anticipation of her partner’s return, yet there’s a profound sense that this ritual is ultimately futile. She hopes for a connection that no longer exists, and the act of wearing the necklace only serves to highlight the distance between them.
The final image, the necklace breaking and the sound of “falling rain,” is particularly poignant. The rain, traditionally a symbol of cleansing and renewal, here feels like a symbol of loss and despair. It is a fitting conclusion to a poem that explores the weight of unfulfilled expectations.
Free Verse and Narrative Voice
The poem’s free verse structure allows Bass to prioritize natural language and emotional authenticity over formal constraints. The absence of a strict rhyme scheme or meter creates a sense of intimacy and immediacy, drawing the reader directly into the woman’s internal world. The narrative voice is understated and observational, allowing the poem’s emotional weight to emerge through subtle details and evocative imagery.
Quotes for Reflection
The following lines encapsulate the poem’s central themes of memory, loss, and the fragility of relationships:
I like to think I am remembering you.
I like to think you don’t forget.
These lines express a desperate hope for connection, a longing for a past that is slipping away. They serve as a poignant reminder of the power of memory and the pain of loss.
“The Albatross” is a quietly powerful poem that resonates long after the final line. It is a testament to Kate Bass’s skill as a poet and her ability to capture the complexities of human emotion with grace and sensitivity.