​b o d y
James-merrill
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b o d y by James Merrill
Release Date
Sun Jan 01 1995
Performed by
James-merrillAbout
“b o d y” (no capital letters) is one of Merrill’s well-known poems. It was first published in A Scattering of Salts in 1995. “b o d y” evades easy description and provokes serious close-reading.
​b o d y Annotated
Look closely at the letters. Can you see,
entering (stage right), then floating full,
then heading off—so soon—
how like a little kohl-rimmed moon
o plots her course from b to d
—as y, unanswered, knocks at the stage door?
Looked at too long, words fail,
phase out. Ask, now that body shines
no longer, by what light you learn these lines
and what the b and d stood for.
​b o d y Q&A
When did James-merrill release ​b o d y?
James-merrill released ​b o d y on Sun Jan 01 1995.