My interpretation of this poem presents a forbidden age-gap homosexual relationship and the ‘woods’ is the only place they could be intimate. It’s a place hidden away from the rest of the outside world, where they can explore their relationship; woods throughout folklore can be seen as a place for transformation; perhaps this speaker engaging in this relationship represents them growing up/maturing in a way separate from their biological age. There was a contradiction from the initial “gasp” and “god damn” to the action of the zipper being pulled or forced up; momentary release but now they literally must put everything away and pretend nothing happened (8). Additionally, the use of “tongue” instead of teeth suggests a deeper form of intimacy that is present in this relationship (8). Furthermore, the use of “leaves” referring to the lover represents a sense of choice- based on their maturity/age, they have more autonomy in their life and who they present to the outside world (8). The speaker might not have the ability to make that decision yet based on the age difference. There are also descriptions of “pine needles” and “brown leaves” and how they are on/in the speaker’s hair and body (8). These items are only described after the lover leaves the woods, which could be telling how this relationship has resulted in a loss of innocence; these elements of the woods disheveled his appearance that he now has to fix before he reenters the real world. Finally, the repetition of “leaves” could indicate the quick turnaround of the intimate moment; they could not afford to enjoy each other’s company. Overall, the consistent descriptions of the woods could represent the forbidden nature of the relationship.
2 thoughts on “Trees are not all you’ll find: Boy at the Edge of Woods and the (really) complicated relationship within”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
I hadn’t even considered the age gap element until I read this post. Now that I think about it, that does heighten the sense of forbiddenness that the poem emanates. It kind of makes me think back to the charmed circle vs. the outer limits graphic we looked at where cross-generational was placed in the outer limits, as well as homosexuality. I doubt Saeed Jones has seen the graphic, but it’s certainly possible that Jones intended to use the stigma of age-gap relationships to enhance the poem.
At first glance reading the poem, I didn’t even think about the possibility of an age gap between the boy and his partner. After reading your analysis and re-reading the poem I can see definitely see it being the case! It’s an interesting contrast to the “Drag” poem, depicting a more intimate scene in a hotel room compared to the rushed, lack of intimacy scene in the woods. Both the woods of the “Boy At Edge of Woods” and the hotel room of the “Drag” poem, symbolizing temporary escapes for the boy to simply be who he is, even if it’s just for a moment.