Lesson from Clark Kent, Naked

Clark Kent, Naked

--Fred Moramarco

They found him in a phone booth, huddled,

Frail as a foetus, shivering in the cold

The problem, he said, was that when he began

To take off his clothes for the usual transformation,

The blue and red suit with the yellow “S”

Emblazoned across the front, just wasn’t there

He couldn’t believe it, he said, and kept disrobing

When he was assaulted by a transient who took the pile of clothes.

He insisted that no one tell Lois as they led him away

Covered by a wool blanket, babbling incoherently

To the air in front of him, remembering how things used to be.

I got this poem on Poetry Analysis some years ago. This poem is rather popular among my lecture. It was mentioned frequently whenever we discussed about man’s weaknesses. Suddenly, I remember this poem and want to share the analysis to you. But first, I want to remind the basic principal in literature that everybody has a freedom to make their own analysis. Nothing wrong, as far as he/ she can prove the analysis based on the literature work itself.

So, let me continue then... this poem, as I remember describes about man’s weakness (as said by Bu Yayuk too).

Do you know Clark Kent? Yup, he’s Superman. Everybody knows that Superman is a great superhero who has a great power. He can fly, he run so fast, and he can lift heavy things. However, this poem tries to see Superman from different angle where people found him in a phone booth, naked, shivering and so weak as a baby (foetus). Why so? The next sentences say what happened to him. The sentences are:

The problem, he said, was that when he began

To take off his clothes for the usual transformation,

The blue and red suit with the yellow “S”

Emblazoned across the front, just wasn’t there

He couldn’t believe it, he said, and kept disrobing

When he was assaulted by a transient who took the pile of clothes.

As usual, whenever danger came, Clark Kent will transform became Superman; but the costume in which written “S” letter on it, which color was blue and red was not there. However, he kept putting off his clothes. Unfortunately, a transient stole his ‘human’ clothes. Then, there he was, naked in a phone booth.

He didn’t really care about what people thought about him. All he was thinking is Lois. He didn’t want Lois, his girlfriend knew about this as said in the sentence: He insisted that no one tell Lois as they led him away. In the end, Clark Kent made to escape covered by a wool blanket as said in the sentences:

Covered by a wool blanket, babbling incoherently

To the air in front of him, remembering how things used to be.

More or less, this poem describes that no matter how strong a man is, he has a crucial weakness: a girl he loved and he doesn’t want his girl)* knows or sees him in a frail. He wants to appear as a perfect man in front of girl he loved.

Furthermore, it can also describe that whenever a man makes a mistakes, he doesn’t want anyone tells his girl.

NB: girl bisa jadi girlfriend atau wife.