Tired Sex Poem Analysis

The use of imagery is very commonly used in fictional literary work, especially poems. Imagery according to Crowder Collage Introduction to Literature’s glossary, “The collective set of images in a poem or other literary work,” (1991). The definition of imagery is rather vague by itself. It is very enlightening on the other hand when the term image is defined, “A word or series of words that refers to any sensory experience (usually sight, although also sound smell, touch or taste). An image is a direct or literal recreation of physical experience and adds immediacy to literary language,” (Gioia 1991).The imagery in Chana Bloch’s “Tired Sex” is a wonderfully helpful in communicating the poem’s general theme.
Lines one through four have a common imagery. The first two

lines of verse are, “We’re trying to strike a match in a matchbook / that has lain all winter under the woodpile: /,” (Gioia 798).

In the first line, the reader gets the impression of two or more people trying to make a spark, given the title a sexual spark (Gioia 798). Now, the second line gives the image of an older couple which has been together a very long time. The third line adds to the meaning of the first two lines. It also gives a possible reason for the lack of fire in the elderly couple's passions, “damp Sulphur /” (Gioia 798). The phrase "damp sulphur" brings to mind erectile dysfunction (ED). Just as a wet match cannot make fire, a man cannot make sexual “fire” or passion while suffering from ED. There is also the image comparison of a wet, limp match and ED. The fourth line, “on sodden cardboard /” gives a similar image to line three (Gioia798). Sodden, as defined by the Oxford Dictionaries is,

“Saturated with liquid, especially water; soaked through: his clothes were sodden” (Sodden). Line four gives the image that the old woman has sexual problems of her own. Unless of course the author is using definition sodden 1.1,“ Having drunk an excessive amount of a particular alcoholic drink” (Sodden). In which case, the author could still be using imagery to infer ED. Since consuming too much alcohol can cause impotence, colloquially referred to as "whiskey dick". The imagery used for the female’s problems (if they are female problems being described) are not as physically literal as the imagery used for the man. Perhaps the author was using this imagery to say her problems were more visceral than physical.
Lines five through seven use imagery to convey the same message. “I catch myself yawning. Through the window /,” both yawning and looking through the window gives the reader the vision of the man being very bored while his wife is trying to arouse his sexual interests (Gioia798). The old man looking through the window gives the best image of his boredom. Line six and seven, “I watch that sparrow the cat / keeps batting around. /,” continues with the imagery of from line five (Gioia798). They show the man so bored he is watching a cat play with a dead bird.
In lines eight through ten the reader gets the image that not only has he lost interest in sexual intercourse, but he finds it to be a chore. Like turning the pages of a book the teacher assigned— // you ought to read it, she said. / it’s great literature. /” (Gioia798). The final three lines show that line four was not referring to the old woman’s sexual problems. You get the impression, from lines nine through ten that she wants to have sex and even thinks sex is “great literature.”
The imagery used in the poem illustrates either the old man's inability to have sex (his impatience), or his boredom with the act altogether. These images hit home the theme of the poem, an old man's loss of interest if not desire for sexual intercourse. His loss of interest is most likely from a failure to be able to perform, “Damp Sulphur / on sodden cardboard. /” (Gioia798). Men usually have very negative feelings about something they are incapable of doing. Perhaps he was in need a drug (Viagra), not discovered for many years to come.