Summary
Lines 1–3
The exploration of “Apple sauce for Eve” ideally commences with its intriguing title. Convention dictates “applesauce” as a single word, yet Piercy’s deliberate separation hints at deeper meaning. The poem’s subject and themes imply that “apple” should be isolated, drawing a significant parallel to the biblical tale of Adam and Eve. Meanwhile, “sauce” gains prominence as it suggests this Eve is doing far more with a mere fruit than her scriptural counterpart ever received credit for.
In the opening line, “Those old daddies” alludes to the ancient authors of the Old Testament and other religious texts narrating the original sin attributed to womankind. The choice of “daddies” over “fathers” injects a note of irony, a subtle yet irreverent tone the speaker sustains throughout. These patriarchs not only condemned Eve but “us in you,” casting a collective shadow over all women. Lines 2 and 3 disclose the supposed transgression: Eve’s “curiosity,” or her so-called “sin” of “wanting knowledge.”
Lines 4–5
This segment unveils Eve’s methods in her pursuit of understanding, beginning at the tail end of line 3: “To try, to taste, / to take into the body, into the brain.” There’s a symbiotic relationship between mind and body, both essential for vigorously probing new knowledge. Instead of passivity, Eve will “turn each thing, each sign, each factoid” in myriad directions, scrutinizing changes. Her method is scientific, rooted in objective empirical inquiry.
Lines 6–9
The closing lines of the opening stanza evoke scientific imagery, capturing the seriousness and unquenchable thirst of Eve’s intellectual curiosity. The phrase “white / fractures into colors” symbolizes the prism effect, where white light reflects all sunlight’s rays and embodies every hue of the rainbow. Consequently, the “image breaks / into crystal fragments that pierce the nerves / while the brain casts the chips into patterns.” This imagery conveys that scientific discovery may sting the senses, yet it invigorates, enabling the mind to arrange those shimmering fragments into coherent patterns. This vividly asserts humanity’s—especially women’s—capacity to harness intellect over physicality to uncover fresh truths.
Lines 10–14
These verses allude to the whimsical nursery rhymes of “Little Jack Horner” and “Little Boy Blue.” The latter is called to “come blow your horn” to gather his livestock but succumbs to a nap beneath a haystack. In Piercy’s portrayal, “Each experiment” pokes a curious finger into the pie and “blows a horn in the ear / of belief.” Science here unleashes “the nasty and difficult brats”—the mischievous boys from nursery tales—upon an indifferent, stagnant world. Yet, these “brats” are “real questions,” and the world is likened to a “desiccated parlor of stasis.”
This passage stands out as one of the poem’s most poignant, underscoring Eve’s choice to seek wisdom through personal experimentation rather than passively accepting traditional narratives and her submissive female role. Her courage to pose “real questions” disrupts the male-dominated norms. Unfazed, she perceives the “desiccated” (withered, lifeless) world as in dire need of a bold jolt.
Lines 15–16
Here, the speaker staunchly advocates for the necessity of testing and experimenting with contemporary knowledge, for today’s “truths” may prove incomplete or even false. A compelling metaphor illustrates this point, vividly evoking the rapid dissolving of frost on glass when kissed by a warm steam. So too will entrenched beliefs fade when illuminated by scientific advancements.
Lines 17–19
The concluding lines of the second stanza pose a thought-provoking query: what might have been if the pursuit of knowledge had been championed, rather than stifled, in ancient times, especially for curious women? The mention of “dead languages” references tongues like ancient Egyptian, Latin, or biblical Hebrew, now relics...
(This entire section contains 1356 words.)
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of the past. The phrase “But what happens if I” hints at daring, experimenting, and the unforeseen results it may yield. Following this with “Whoops!” adds a playful yet cautionary note, suggesting a misstep or undesirable outcome. Alluding to these as translations of the “last words” of defunct languages suggests old ways yielded to fresh possibilities—albeit too late.
Lines 20–21
In line 20, the biblical archetype of the first man is humorously reduced to a cheerful, simple pup as Eve and Satan “shimmy up the tree” of knowledge, embracing risk and enlightenment, while Adam remains earthbound, “wagging his tail” obediently like a “good dog.”
Lines 22–23
These lines portray Eve and Satan as “lab partners” entwined in a “dance of will and hunger” in pursuit of the tree’s forbidden fruit. Their yearning, the speaker notes, springs not from lust but from intellectual desire. In the exaggerated depiction of the third stanza’s opening lines, Adam is the oblivious pet, while Eve emerges as the fearless, indomitable seeker of wisdom. The speaker unapologetically inverts traditional roles, perhaps as a response to the prolonged imbalance in narrative authority.
Lines 24–25
The speaker intensifies her critique of men, accusing them of always assuming that women desire intimacy. She sharply interjects with references to male anatomy, namely "cock, snake," as a way to express her disdain for such superficial assumptions. This choice of words may also highlight her readiness to wield language traditionally deemed vulgar and unsuitable for women. She rebukes men for their belief that romantic gestures and passion suffice, when in reality, "it is the world she's after." Much like Eve, who refuses to accept the forbidden nature of the tree of knowledge, she eagerly pursues enlightenment.
Lines 26–29
Shifting gears, Piercy guides the poem towards a secular and worldly philosophical perspective. In his seminal work, Discourse on the Method of Rightly Conducting the Reason, and Seeking Truth in the Sciences (1637), René Descartes famously declared, "I think; therefore, I am." This assertion encapsulated his conviction that he validated his existence through logical and empirical reasoning rather than traditional or theological means. Within "Apple sauce for Eve," the speaker identifies either Descartes or Eve herself as the "first conceived kid / of the ego," a potentially critical term that nonetheless underscores her philosophy of self-definition through the intellect rather than the heart or soul.
Expanding on Descartes's philosophy, the speaker declares, "I / kick the tree"—a metaphor for challenging the tree of knowledge. She poses the age-old inquiry, "who am I," swiftly followed by "why am I." Here, "Why am I?" stands alone as a contemplation of one's existential purpose but continues into line 29: "why am I, / going, going to die, die, die." This reflects Eve's yearning for answers not just about her existence, but about the punishment for her pursuit of wisdom.
Lines 30–31
The poem's conclusion exudes a sense of optimism, hope, and celebration that surpasses the preceding stanzas. The well-worn saying "necessity is the mother of invention" assumes new significance when Eve is depicted as "indeed the mother of invention." She is hailed as "the first scientist," a title that transcends her status as the first woman. These accolades celebrate Eve, not for her compliance or acceptance of her place in Eden, but for her pursuit of higher, rational ambitions.
Lines 32–34
The name "Eve" draws from the Hebrew words chavah, to breathe, and chayah, to live. The speaker bluntly asserts, "Your name means / life." She revisits imagery from the opening stanza to depict Eve's relentless quest for knowledge and her intellectual, logical perspective. True experimentation entails "tasting" and "testing," often requiring one to "swim against / the current" rather than conform to contemporary norms. For Eve, knowledge is as vital and sustaining as food and water—essentials for survival.
Lines 35–36
The "We" invoked here might encompass all humanity, both men and women, yet more likely, it speaks directly to women. Eve's "bright hunger" and her "first experiment" laid the groundwork for future generations of women who would follow her path of defiance, resolve, and relentless pursuit of understanding.
Lines 37–38
The poem concludes with a metaphor brimming with exuberance. While the speaker acknowledges that the forbidden apple bore the "worm" of "death," a burden released upon humanity by Eve, it also offered seeds. These seeds symbolize new beginnings, life, and growth—heralding "freedom" for women and the blossoming of "choice," granting women the autonomy to make their own decisions and chase their aspirations. These lines ultimately celebrate the feminist spirit, honoring Eve for paving the way for her countless successors.
