MissGee,intheanthologyunitfor EnglishAS,isapoemaboutastereotypical
womeninthelate1930sthattragicallydiesofcancer.However,thepoemcanbe
seenasacomicwhichIwillhighlightwhylater.Belowisacompleteanalysisof
Auden'spoemMissGeestanzabystanzatohelpmakeiteasiertoread.Itis
importanttounderstandthatAudenisanentirelydifferentpoettoRobertBrowning
withthelikeof ThePatriot and PiedPiperofHamelin.Idon'tthinkyoucancompare
themmuchbutonlycontrastifyouchooseto.Feelfreetoskiptothepartsmost
relevanttoyou.
Structure
Thepoemusestheoldbluesstandardformwhichmeansthepoemistobesung.
Therefore,inmusicalterms,MissGeeadoptsa4/4(fourcrochetbeatstoabar)time
signature.Itisaballadfollowingquatrainrhyming(ABCB).Therhythm
is prosaically threebeats.Itisin4/4becauseattheendofeachlinkisarest.Miss
Geeisinstressverse.Thismeansthattherhythmhasbeenproducedthroughstresses
oncertainbeatsinsteadofthesyllables.
Title'MissGee'
Straightaway,fromthetimethispoemwascreatedin1938,welearnthathewrote
thispoembeforehewenttoAmericain1939.The'Miss'suggestsshehasalackof
relationshipsinherlifewhichwewilllaterfindistrue(andis unmarried).
Belowthetitlehavethewords (Tune:StJames'sInfirmary).Thisisanoldblues
standardpoemwhich predates (isbefore)MissGee.Itisamorbidsongaboutdeath
andisabouttheblackandworkingclasstradition.Therefore,thepoem'MissGee'is
meanttobesungtoasongabouttheblackandworkingclass.Thisprovidesa
comic juxtaposition totheprimandproperofMissGeewhoismiddleclass.The
formisoldbluesstandardforMissGee.
Stanza1
'Letmetellyoualittlestory'isaconventionalopeningofabluessong(itis
the equivalent of'onceuponatime').Thistiesinwiththecomic juxtaposition.
Shelivesonamiddleclassterracedstreetbeing'ClevedonTerrace'.
Withherdoornumberbeing'Number83'suggestsshelivesdownalongroad
andisan anonymous person.
Stanza2
Thereisauseofalliterationon'slightsquint'makinghersoundevenmore
unattractive.Thismaybeoneofthereasonswhysheisunmarried.
'shehadnobust'meaningshehadnoboonsandflatchestedagainportraying
herasunattractive.
Thewholestanzaisadescriptionofherappearancewheresheseems
everythingbutattractive.
Stanza3
Thisstanza(aswellasstanza4)describesherdresssenseandthetypeof
clothesshewore.
A'greyserge'isaheavycoursewovenfabric.Todescribeasa'costume'makes
herdresscodeseem ridiculous andsurrealhowunattractivesheisingeneral.
Thereisarepeatedlinefromstanza1,'ShelivedinClevedonTerrace',which
iscommoninblues.
Thefactthatshelivesina'smallbedsittingroom'suggestssheismiddleclass
andnotrich:shelivesinaoneflatroom.
Stanza4
Herappearanceisgettingmoreunattractivefromherdresscode,'purplemac',
and,'greenumbrella'.Itisclearthatpurpleandgreendon'tgomakingherdress
senseterrible.
'aharshbackpedalbrake'Thebicycleislikeherpersonality.When
any excitement comesintoherlife,sheputsthebrakeson.Whenshegoesfast
with excitement,shebreaks.Thismakeshercomeacrosswithaboring
personality.
Stanza5
ItismadeclearsheisaChristianassheknittedforthe'ChurchBazaar'.
Stanza6
AvoiceisheardforthefirsttimebeingMissGee.
Shesoundshopelessfromthewayshe'lookedupatthestarlight'.
WithMissGeebeingon'onehundredpoundsayear'makesclearsheisona
lowsalaryorhasalowinheritance.Manywomeninthiseradidnotworkand
justlivedoftheinterestearnedfromaninheritanceleftfromtheirfamily.
Stanza7
Stanza7introducestheconceptofMissGeedreaming.Shedreamsshehasapurpose
toherlife.Duringthe1930s,thepublicwereinterestedinapsychoanalysisnamed
SigmundFreud.Whileinhospitalin1930,AudenreadSigmundFreud'sbook'A
textbookofpsychologyindoggerel'.Freudbelievedthatmanyillnessesandmental
illnessesspringfromsexualrepression.MissGee'sdreamisadreamwheresheis
fulfillingherwishes.Oneofthesewishesisclearthatsheisinlovewiththevicar,
'theVicarofSaintAloysius/AskedHerMajestytodance'.Throughtheuse
of capitalizing the'H'and'M'makesMissGeefeelsheismoreimportant.
Stanza8
Patheticfallacyisusedwith'astormblewdownthepalace'.
Inherdream,sheisbikingthrough'afieldorcorn'whichcanbeseentobeher
fatality.
A'bull'appearsinherdreamwhichcanrepresentoneoftwothings(AO3
interpretations).Itcouldrepresentthecancerthatkilledher.But,youmust
havereadthepoemtounderstandthis.Forfirsttimereaders,theywill
associatethedominanceandpowerofthebulltomalesexuality.Therefore,it
representsthemalesexualitythatshewants.ThismakesclearMissGeesuffers
sexualrepressionfrom analysing thisrecognisableFreudiandream.
ThebullchargedatMissGeeinthedreamwitha'loweredhorn'representing
theuseofaphallic.
Stanza9
Thebull'wasgoingtoovertake'.Usingthe representations thebullhas,this
meansthecancerwasovertakingherandkillingher.
The'bicycle'and''backpedalbrake'is mentioned againmakinghergoslower
andthebullfurtheraway infront ofherinthedream.Thismakesclearthather
boringpersonalitywasacatalysttothecancerandherdeath.Ifshedidn'thave
thebackpedalbrake,itwouldhavebeenharderforthebull(cancer)to
overtakeherandkillher.
Stanza10
Thereisapassageoftimefromtheuseofmentioning'Summer'and'Winter'.
Thisisbasicallythesameassaying'yearsgoby'.
Hersexualrepressionismadeclearerthroughtheuseofdescribingher
appearanceagain,'Withherclothesbuttoneduptoherneck'.
Stanza11
Stanza11hasMissGeegoingtoChurch'satdowninthesideaisle/Sheheard
theorganplay'.
Thelineofthestanza'Attheendingoftheday'createdasenseofforeboding:
death.
Stanza12
MissGeeistryingtousereligiontohelpto suppress herdesiressuchasher
lovefortheVicar'Leadmenotintotemptation/Butmakemeagoodgirl,
please'.Therefore,wehearMissGee'svoiceagain.
Stanza13
Thereisanotherofpassageoftime,'Thedaysandnightswentby'.
Astrongvisual simile isused,'LikewavesroundaCornishwreck',makingthe
comparisonthatMissGeeislikeawreckedshipwiththewavescrashinginon
theyears.
Thesexualrepressiveline,'Withherclothesbuttoneduptoherneck',suggests
shehasn'tchangedatallsincethelaststanzawherethislineappeared.
Stanza14
Here,shegoestotheDoctorandthereisnowafearshemighthaveaserious
illness.
Thisstanzacreatesasenseof bathos wherewefeelpityforMissGeebutits
funnyatthesametime.
Stanza15
ThedoctorimpliesthattheillnessisbadthroughthewayhelooksatMissGee
twice,'lookedherover/Andthenhelookedsomemore'.
Thefacthewalkedovertohis'washbasin'suggeststhathecan'tdoanything
tohelpashe'stoolatetohelp.Thismakesthepassagesoftimeevenmore
significanttothepoem.
Asecondvoiceisheardbeing'DoctorThomas'.
Asenseofbathosiscreatedinthisstanzatoo.
Stanza16
ThisstanzaislocatedattheDoctor'shomenowwhereheis'satoverhisdinner'
talkingtohiswife.
Stanza17
Thisstanzadescribesthenatureofcancer.
Cancerispersonifiedtoa'hidden assassin'givingtheillnessalotofpower.
Thisreducesthechangesfromthereader's perspective thatMissGeewill
recoverfromthisillness.
Stanza18
'It'sasiftherehadtobesomeoutlet/Fortheir foiled creativefire'.Thedoctor
believesthatMissGee'ssexualrepressioncausedhercancer.
Stanza19
Itwascommoninthe1930stohaveaservant,'Hiswifesherangforthe
servant'.Thismakescleartheyarewealthy.
Sheasksherhusband(DoctorThomas)tonotbeso'morbid'/darkatthedinner
table.
Bathosisusedagainalongsidecolloquiallanguage,'she'sagoner'.
Stanza20
Thereisa repetition ofthestrongvisual simile oftheCornishwreck,'Shelay
thereatotalwreck'.
'Withherbedclothesrightuptoherneck'islikeanepitomeofMissGee.She
couldneverbethewomenshewantedtobebecauseshewas suppressed.
Stanza21
Stanza21featuresMissGeewhohaspassedaway.Thisstanzaevolvesaround
anautopsyofherbody.
Thiswholestanzaemphasiseshowtragicherlifewasthatshe'slaughedatasa
corpse,'Thestudentsbegantolaugh'.
Stanza22
Stanza22featuresthesurgeon,MrRose,tellingthestudentsnottolaughasit's
abigcancer,'Weseldomseeasarcoma/Asfaradvancedasthis'.
Stanza23
ThisstanzadescribestheuseofMissGee'sbodyasamedicalexperiment.
Stanza24
ThefinalignominyforMissGeeistobehungfroma ceiling,'Theyhungher
fromtheceiling,/Yes,theyhungupMissGee'.
