POEM 6

Syl Cheney– Coker – “The Breast of the Sea”

After our bloody century, the sea will groan
under its weight, somewhere between breasts and anus.
Filled with toxins, her belly will not yield new islands
even though the orphans of East Timor wish it so.
The sea is only capable of so much history:
Noah’s monologue, the Middle Passage’s cargoes,

Darwin’s examination of the turtle’s shit,
the remains of the Titanic, and a diver’s story

about how the coelacanth was recaptured.
Anything else is only a fractured chela
we cannot preserve, once the sea’s belly
has washed itself clean of our century’s blight.
Throbbing, the sea’s breasts will console some orphans,
but Sierra Leone won’t be worth a raped woman’s cry,
despite her broken back, this shredded garment,
her hands swimming like horrors of red corals.
But do you, O Sea, long-suffering mistress,
have the balm to heal the wound of her children,
hand to foot the axe, alluvial river flowing into you?

Literary Analysis of Syl Cheney-Coker’s “The Breast of the Sea”

Title Analysis: The title “The Breast of the Sea” juxtaposes nurturing imagery with a vast, often violent natural force. The “breast” suggests nourishment, care, and life-giving qualities, while “sea” connotes vastness, mystery, and power. This contrast sets up a poem that explores the complex relationship between humanity and nature, particularly the sea as both a source of life and a witness to human suffering.

Theme: The poem grapples with themes of history, suffering, and the environmental and emotional toll of human actions. It reflects on the sea as a repository of human history, filled with the scars of violence, colonialism, environmental degradation, and war. The poem also touches on the theme of loss—both of innocence and of the sea’s purity, as it is burdened with the detritus of human cruelty.

Structure and Form: The poem is written in free verse, with no fixed rhyme scheme, giving it a fluid and somewhat disjointed rhythm, mirroring the chaotic and turbulent history it recounts. The structure allows for a more organic expression of ideas and emotions, unbounded by traditional poetic forms.

Imagery and Symbolism:

• The Sea: The sea is a central symbol in the poem, representing both the natural world and the repository of human history. It holds the memories of countless tragedies—from biblical floods to the transatlantic slave trade (“Middle Passage’s cargoes”)—and serves as a witness to human suffering.
• Breasts and Anus: These body parts are symbolic of the life cycle—birth, nourishment, waste, and death. They highlight the sea’s dual role as a giver of life and a receptacle for the world’s refuse and suffering.
• Toxins and Belly: The sea’s belly, “filled with toxins,” symbolizes environmental degradation and the pollution of both the physical and historical aspects of the sea. The sea, once capable of supporting life and creating new land (“yield new islands”), is now poisoned and unable to nurture.
• Orphans of East Timor and Sierra Leone: These references highlight specific instances of human suffering and loss, representing the broader impacts of war, colonization, and violence on innocent populations. The mention of orphans underscores themes of loss, abandonment, and the hope for a better future, despite overwhelming adversity.
• Red Corals and Shredded Garments: These images evoke the violence and bloodshed that the sea has witnessed. The “red corals” symbolize blood and death, while “shredded garment” refers to the loss of dignity and the scars left by violence and trauma.

Tone: The tone of the poem is somber, reflective, and at times, despairing. It conveys a deep sense of mourning for the losses inflicted by humanity, both on the environment and on each other. There is also a tone of accusation, as the poem calls attention to the ongoing neglect and destruction caused by human actions.

Message: The poem presents the sea as a silent witness to the atrocities of history, carrying the weight of human suffering within its depths. Cheney-Coker suggests that the sea, despite its vastness and power, is burdened by the cumulative weight of human cruelty and environmental degradation. The poem questions whether the sea can continue to nurture life or if it has become too polluted—both physically and metaphorically—by the actions of humanity. The final lines, which address the sea as a “long-suffering mistress,” express a longing for healing and redemption, but also a deep skepticism about whether such healing is possible.

Conclusion: “The Breast of the Sea” by Syl Cheney-Coker is a powerful meditation on the relationship between humanity and the natural world, particularly the sea as a symbol of both life and suffering. Through rich imagery and symbolic language, the poem explores the environmental and historical scars left by human actions, raising questions about the capacity of the natural world to endure and heal from such wounds. The poem is a poignant reminder of the interconnectedness of history, nature, and human suffering, and the consequences of neglecting that connection. NEXT POEM

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