Fluidity of Exchanging Hats
Fluidity of "Exchanging Hats"
In a poem by Elizabeth Bishop called "Exchanging Hats," there is a uncanny connection to the different hats that people all over the world wear. Whether it be a parental "hat," student "hat," or employee "hat," everyone around the world wears "hats." Now, I'm not speaking of the literal hats that shade us from the sun and have straps and ribbons on the brim. No- I am speaking of the types of hats that one wears when performing a role as a member of society. Many people wear multiple "hats" a day. For myself, I wear the "hat" of: dancer, student, employee, son, and partner every day.
That's a lot of hats to wear!
In Bishop's poem, there is a clarification that I see when I read it. Lines such as "we share your transvestite twist" and "The headgear of the other sex" could explain some of these thoughts. Throughout the poem there is a reference to the many "hats" one wears, and this uncle and aunt that the poem focuses on seem to have an odd relationship. Of course the poem when read can just be interpreted as the ever changing roles that one must play in their day to day lives. However, I get a strange feeling through some of the text that it could be a reference to sexual/gender fluidity.
In today's society, gender roles, fluidity and orientation are hot topics. Whether you agree with these ideas or not, you have to admit that the topic is quite controversial. Even in this poem from 1956, the ideas of gender fluidity have been boiling in individuals' personal lifestyles. In my interpretation of the poem, there is an uncle that likes to wear the "hat" of a woman, and the aunt seems to be a flirt with "yachtsmen" but is not married. This could tell that reader that the uncle could be fluid in his sexuality which can relate to our modernized society. There are many people in the world that are "beards" for men and women because some individuals have not come out as a certain sexual orientation due to their own private circumstance, which could possibly be the case for this poem.
Whether my interpretation relates to anyone else's, there is for certain an exchanging of roles that the characters in this poem portray. It could be sexual, gender, or just the position they play as a family member. Many different explanations can be offered for this poem, but this is just my take.
In a poem by Elizabeth Bishop called "Exchanging Hats," there is a uncanny connection to the different hats that people all over the world wear. Whether it be a parental "hat," student "hat," or employee "hat," everyone around the world wears "hats." Now, I'm not speaking of the literal hats that shade us from the sun and have straps and ribbons on the brim. No- I am speaking of the types of hats that one wears when performing a role as a member of society. Many people wear multiple "hats" a day. For myself, I wear the "hat" of: dancer, student, employee, son, and partner every day.
That's a lot of hats to wear!
In Bishop's poem, there is a clarification that I see when I read it. Lines such as "we share your transvestite twist" and "The headgear of the other sex" could explain some of these thoughts. Throughout the poem there is a reference to the many "hats" one wears, and this uncle and aunt that the poem focuses on seem to have an odd relationship. Of course the poem when read can just be interpreted as the ever changing roles that one must play in their day to day lives. However, I get a strange feeling through some of the text that it could be a reference to sexual/gender fluidity.
In today's society, gender roles, fluidity and orientation are hot topics. Whether you agree with these ideas or not, you have to admit that the topic is quite controversial. Even in this poem from 1956, the ideas of gender fluidity have been boiling in individuals' personal lifestyles. In my interpretation of the poem, there is an uncle that likes to wear the "hat" of a woman, and the aunt seems to be a flirt with "yachtsmen" but is not married. This could tell that reader that the uncle could be fluid in his sexuality which can relate to our modernized society. There are many people in the world that are "beards" for men and women because some individuals have not come out as a certain sexual orientation due to their own private circumstance, which could possibly be the case for this poem.
Whether my interpretation relates to anyone else's, there is for certain an exchanging of roles that the characters in this poem portray. It could be sexual, gender, or just the position they play as a family member. Many different explanations can be offered for this poem, but this is just my take.
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