The Priest's Confession by Ai
"The Priest's Confession" by Ai explores the internal conflict of a priest confronting his feelings of guilt and temptation. The narrative unfolds as the priest grapples with his perceived sins, particularly his attraction to an orphan named Rosamund. Her presence evokes a powerful allure, symbolized through vivid imagery of her laughter and scent, which he finds irresistibly seductive. Throughout the poem, the priest reflects on his desires and actions, revealing moments of both ecstasy and violence, culminating in a disturbing encounter with Rosamund that raises questions about consent and agency.
While he struggles with the moral implications of his actions, the priest expresses a longing for divine love and redemption, indicating a deep sense of despair and a desire for forgiveness. The poem's blend of spiritual turmoil and physical temptation invites readers to contemplate the complexities of human desire, faith, and the consequences of moral failure. As the priest resigns himself to his identity as a sinner, the work ultimately probes profound themes of guilt, redemption, and the haunting nature of transgression. Through its evocative language and unsettling scenarios, the poem calls for a reflection on the intersections of spirituality and human vulnerability.
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Subject Terms
The Priest's Confession by Ai
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition
First published: 1986 (collected in Vice, 1999)
Type of work: Poem
The Work
In “The Priest’s Confession,” Ai presents the thought process of a priest who believes he has sinned and battles his own temptations, fearing the wrath of God. He confesses, “I didn’t say mass this morning” and then goes on to describe “Rosamund, the orphan,” who tempts him with her laughter and “the almond scent of her body” that wraps around his neck “like a noose.” This image of a noose is repeated in part 3 of the poem, where he contemplates hanging a rope from the rafter of the church and kicking away “the needlepoint footstool” so that he can “swing out over the churchyard.”
Images of Rosamund and her developing body haunt him. Despite his attempts at self-control, he gives in to temptation, breaks his rosary, and then rolls “on the floor/ in a kind of ecstasy” for his transgression. He describes to God how he craves parts of Rosamund’s body, such as the “bird’s nest of hair/ barely covered by her drawers” and her breasts that “grew in secret/ like two evil thoughts,” but he still wants to know that God loves him.
The priest confesses that, in a moment of sadistic violence, he pressed his face between Rosamund’s legs and “bit down” so hard that his mouth bled, but that he did not stop. Although the priest describes Rosamund as “so quiet” and then suddenly crying out, the reader is doubtful that she “moved closer and closer” to the priest’s lips, as he describes. Since Rosamund is not given a voice or a choice in this poem, perhaps the priest is having delusions of transcendence. After this encounter, he is haunted by both her laughter and her screams, and he resigns himself to being a sinner, entreating, “Lord, come walk with me” because he knows it is his only hope for redemption.
Bibliography
Cramer, Steven. Review of Fate, by Ai. Poetry 159 (November, 1991): 108-111.
Kilcup, Karen. “Dialogues of the Self: Toward a Theory of (Re)reading Ai.” Journal of Gender Studies 7, no. 1 (March, 1998): 5-20.
Monaghan, Pat. Review of Fate, by Ai. Booklist 87 (January 1, 1991): 902.
Ostriker, Alicia. Review of Sin, by Ai. Poetry 144 (January, 1987): 231-237.
Seidman, Hugh. Review of Killing Floor, by Ai. The New York Times Book Review, July 8, 1979, 14.
Seshadri, Vijay. Review of Dread, by Ai. The New York Times Book Review, May 4, 2003.