Sewell's Diction In Circe, After His Departure

In her poem “Circe, After his Departure,” Sewell’s diction characterizes Circe’s desire as a feeling that occurs internally rather than directly relating to Odysseus.
Several of Sewell’s specific word choices repudiate the concept that Circe is passionately yearning for Odysseus. Sewell describes that Circe “still thinks of him,/ still gazes idly out at a horizon on which no vague blur/or bright spot [...] appears” (2-4). Sewell’s choice of the word “idly” (3) contradicts the intense emotional attachment Circe expresses throughout the rest of the poem, such as when she ruminates on “the possibility/of union, and the necessity of such promise and belief” (Sewell 21-22). The Oxford dictionary defines idly as “with no particular purpose, reason, or foundation” or “in an inactive or lazy way” ("Definition of Idly in English”). Sewell’s selection of the word “idly” portrays Circe’s search for Odysseus as lacking any sort of fervor. This
characterization illuminates that the desire Circe is so focused on does not specifically relate to Odysseus. Sewell describes Circe and Odysseus’ affair as “a brief, heady time” (2).
Sewell is offering a play on words here. The word “heady” (2) implies that all of Circe’s desire is in her own head and is directed more towards the idea of Odysseus than the man himself. Sewell’s use of the conditional tense throughout the poem to convey Circe’s thoughts and feelings further supports the idea that her desire for Odysseus is all in her head. Circe confesses that “she would like to forget about [Odysseus]” (Sewell 13). The use of “would” implies that all of Circe’s thoughts and hopes exist in an imagined, hypothetical form. She later shares that “she would open him up and crawl back/ into [him] [...]/ if it would teach him the possibility/ of union” (Sewell 19-22). She repeats that “if she had the chance she would tell him” (Sewell 23). By writing about Circe’s desire in the conditional tense, Sewell characterizes it as existing internally in a hypothetical world and, therefore, demonstrates how Circe’s desire is not an external need for
Odysseus.
Sewell’s wording of her poem’s title further emphasizes the dissociation between Circe’s desire and Odysseus. By not titling her poem “Circe, after Odysseus’ Departure,” Sewell establishes the idea Circe’s desire is not specifically for Odysseus. The title’s ambiguity bolsters Sewell’s carefully woven assertion that desire exists internally and separately from the object of that desire. Furthermore, by having “his” be the only non capitalized word in the poem’s title, Sewell shifts the importance away from Odysseus. If the poem truly concerned Circe’s desire for Odysseus, Sewell would have indicated this in the title. Instead, Sewell’s diction portrays Circe as the titular character, which encourages her reader to see Circe’s desire as relating to herself and, therefore, being internal rather than relating to an external stimulus like Odysseus.
Throughout the poem, Circe only discusses Odysseus in relation to herself and how he makes her feel rather than any features of his personality or appearance that she misses. For example, she mentions “there’s the way he held her jaw/ in both his hands when he kissed her” (Sewell 10-11). By only describing Odysseus in relation to herself rather than as a separate entity, Circe demonstrates that her longing is for how Odysseus made her feel rather than for Odysseus himself. The only moment within the poem where Sewell describes Odysseus’ appearance or state of mind is when Circe recounts “the animal yearning/that crossed his face when she asked him to [kiss her]” (Sewell 11-12). Although Sewell is describing the look on Odysseus’ face, it is a look engendered by his desire for Circe, so the focus remains on Circe. The singularity of this moment highlights Circe’s need to feel desired. Because the only instance where she describes Odysseus is in relation to Circe, Sewell places an emphasis on Circe’s need to be desired rather than on Odysseus himself, demonstrating to her readers that the two entities are separate. Sewell reinforces this separation when she writes that “he is like desire, or the/ marker for desire” (7-8). Again, Sewell chooses to write “he” rather than “Odysseus,” carrying on the trend of non specificity that shifts the focus away from Odysseus and towards Circe and her own feelings. Furthermore, the phrase “marker for desire” (7) suggests that the feeling of desire is entirely separate from the object of that desire. Circe is attracted not to Odysseus as a person but to the desire he makes her feel. The disparity between the subjects of desire and of Odysseus supports Sewell’s characterization of desire as an internal feeling. If her desire were external, Circe would specifically be yearning for Odysseus. Instead, she craves the desire he imbued within her.
As Circe reflects on her desire, the speaker describes the moment after climaxing where you “are soaked through with disappointment/and with the knowledge that we are hopelessly enclosed/by the measure of our skins” (Sewell 28-30). This realization supports the characterization of desire as an inward feeling because it suggests that no matter what people do, they are stuck within their own bodies, so all connections or perceived connections exist internally. What’s more, this section of the poem is the only time where the speaker switches out of the third person. Sewell writes in second person--“you” (25)--and then first person plural--”we” (29)--before switching back into the the third person narrator that she uses consistently throughout the rest of the poem. The shift to second person has a depersonalizing effect, separating Circe from the realization while the shift to first person plural rather than first person singular presents the idea as being universal rather than something Circe has specifically experienced. The depersonalizing effect of the pronoun switches allows Sewell to present her characterization of desire separately from Circe and Odysseus’ experience, which ultimately serves to demonstrate to her readers how desire exists as an inward feeling.