Mrs Midas
CAROL ANN DUFFY
Mrs Midas
A contemporary updating of the Midas myth, the poem begins with
the speaker recalling the otherwise ordinary day in which she
discovered that her husband’s wish to turn all he touched to gold
had come true. Thereafter she reflects upon how the wish had a
detrimental impact on their relationship, ultimately causing the pair
to part, leaving her ambition of becoming a mother unfulfilled.
Mrs Midas – Title
“Mrs” – rather than Queen; a clear democratisation since
the Midas of Greek mythology was a monarch. This might
suggest that the moral of the Midas tale is universal and
applicable to us all. The contemporary references in the
poem also convey the impression that the problems the
couple encounter are as likely to undermine a relationship
today as they were in Ancient Greece.
Mrs Midas – Stanza 1
An ordinary domestic scene is presented. The unexceptional nature of the day is illustrated
through the flat, prose-like language used to describe the setting in the opening two sentences.
The ordinariness here obviously contrasts sharply with the later revelation of the extraordinary
power of the speaker’s husband. The only intimation of the strangeness to come is the
personification of the kitchen: “its steamy breath”. This imbues the kitchen with a supernatural
strangeness, possibly anticipating the supernatural strangeness of Midas’s power.
The word choice of “unwind” and “relaxed” and the reference to “poured a glass of wine”
creates a calm atmosphere at the beginning of the poem, which contrasts with the later moods
of fear and anger.
“September” – an appropriate setting, considering that September is associated with the
golden hues of Autumn.
Mrs Midas – Stanza 2
“Now the garden was long and the visibility poor” – such is oddness of what she is witnessing,
Mrs Midas suggests that her eyes may be deceiving her.
“dark of the ground seems to drink the light of the sky” – an ominous image, foreshadowing
the tragedy to follow and suggestive of the end of hope.
“like a lightbulb” – simile - conveying both the shape of the pear and its colour after Midas has
touched it.
“Is he putting fairy lights into the tree?” – The question shows Mr Midas’s puzzled state: she is
yet to comprehend the nature of her husband’s power.
Mrs Midas – Stanza 3
“I thought of/the Field of the Cloth of Gold and of Miss Macready” - The Field of the Cloth of
Gold is a reference to the meeting of King Henry VIII and King Francis I of France at Calais in 1520
- a famously opulent occasion. Miss Macready is presumably the History teacher who taught
Mrs Midas about this event.
“He sat in that chair like a king” – This simile alludes to the Greek myth that informs the
narrative, as does the later reference to Pan.
“burnished” – suggests polished brightly; a reference to the gleam Midas gives articles and
objects when he touches them.
“The look on his face was strange, wild, vain” – List of adjectives is used to describe the
variety of feelings Midas has as he becomes aware of this power. “Strange” may foreshadow his
later madness; “wild” may anticipate his later banishment to the woods and “vain” anticipates
his wife’s later view of him as “selfish”.
Mrs Midas – Stanza 3
“What in the name of God is going on?” – The question here again underlines Mrs Midas’s
confusion at this stage in the poem. The exasperated tone also foreshadows her later anger
towards her spouse.
“He started to laugh” – Midas is obviously tickled by his new ability. His carefree attitude here
contrasts with his later despair when the narrator tells us he “sank to his knees”. His laughter
also suggests he is not taking his wife’s feelings into consideration – a failing she criticises him
for in the last stanza when she accuses her husband of “pure selfishness”.
Mrs Midas – Stanza 4
“I served up the meal. For starters, corn on the cob” – Mrs Midas attempts to recapture the
normalcy of the opening stanza here.
“Within seconds he was spitting out the teeth of the rich” – metaphor – this image equates
the shape of the individual pieces of corn with teeth. The reference to the “rich” suggests that
the corn has been turned to gold by Midas’s touch. There is clearly a comedic tone here, but it
also foreshadows Midas’s later starvation.
“He toyed with his spoon, then mine, then with the knives, the forks” – the word choice of
“toyed” suggests that Midas is feeling playful and carefree. He is playing around with his new
found ability in much the same way as a child might play with a toy. The list of items he touches
suggests that Midas is enjoying his new found talent, and is deriving pleasure from watching
commonplace objects turn into treasure.
Midas’s insouciant attitude contrasts with that of his wife in the following line: “I pour with
shaking hand”. This is the first intimation that she is becoming fearful of his power.
Mrs Midas – Stanza 4
“glass, goblet, golden chalice” – this list demonstrates how the glass changes after it has been
touched by Midas. The alliteration of the harsh “g” sound suggests there is something
unpleasant about Midas’s power, which foreshadows the darker mood that predominates as the
narrative unfolds.
Mrs Midas – Stanza 5
“scream” – the mood darkens in this stanza as both Mrs Midas and her husband become
aware of the dangers associated with his new power. The word choice of “scream” suggests
that Mrs Midas is terrified. Her fear has increased considerably since the reference to her
“shaking hand” in the last stanza.
“He sank to his knees” – the gravity of his situation is now dawning on Midas, causing him to
buckle in despair.
“on my own” – foreshadows her later loneliness when the pair part.
“I made him sit/on the other side of the room and keep his hands to himself” – the
suggestion here is that Mrs Midas no longer trusts her husband. The reference to “keep his
hands to himself” is relevant because the couple used to enjoy a very passionate physical
relationship. Moreover, this revelation has implications as it foreshadows Mrs Midas’s later
realisation that won’t be able to have children with her husband.
Mrs Midas – Stanza 5
“The toilet I didn’t mind” – adds a touch of humour; Mrs Midas is presumably quite tickled by
the novelty of having a golden toilet.
“I couldn’t believe my ears” – mirrors her earlier incredulity.
The colon introduces a dramatic pause before the revelation of how Midas acquired his strange
power. However, this information is not imparted until the next stanza. The enjambment here
perhaps indicates that life in the Midas household has become very chaotic and unpredictable.
But who has wishes granted? Him. Do you know about gold?
It feeds no one; aurum, soft, untarnishable; slakes
no thirst.
Mrs Midas – Stanza 6
“Look, we all have wishes; granted./But who has wishes granted?” – pun – creates a comic
tone. The word choice of “granted” has a double meaning.
“Do you know about gold?
It feeds no one; aurum, soft, untarnishable; slakes
no thirst.
Here Mrs Midas is bemoaning the fact that gold does not have any practical value, and it cannot
satisfy any of her husband’s physiological needs. There is some irony here as gold is usually
considered to be very valuable.
“you’ll be able to give up smoking for good” – the humorous tone returns here after the
bitterness of the previous lines.
Mrs Midas – Stanza 7
“Separate beds” – This statement stands out in a short, dramatic minor sentence at the start of
the stanza. The unusual sentence structure complements the unusual situation as Mrs Midas
and her husband normally enjoy a very physical relationship. Moreover, the use of a minor
sentence is appropriate as the Midas’ love life, like the sentence, will now be characterised by
inaction. The image of the separate beds contrasts with the later comparison of “undressing
each other, rapidly, like presents”. Whereas the couple used to enjoy an intensely physical
relationship, they can no longer touch each other.
“I put a chair against the door/near petrified” – Mr Midas is terrified in case her husband
cannot control his desire and touches her, inadvertently turning her to gold.
“turning the spare room/into the tomb of Tutankhamun” – the humorous imagery returns
here, as Midas’s golden touch will make the spare room as opulent as a Pharaoh’s tomb.
“tomb” – suggests death; appropriate as their relationship will die and it appears that Midas is
dying at the end of the poem.
Mrs Midas – Stanza 7
Contrast between their previous happiness and current situation. The speaker
remembers how “we were passionate then,/ in those halcyon days”.
The word choice of “passionate” suggests the couple had an intense desire
and attraction for one another.
“halcyon” – suggests nostalgically looking back on the best days of your youth.
“rapidly” – suggests they were desperate to be intimate with one another.
“presents” – suggests a gift; receiving something desirable that will bring joy.
“fast” – suggests they desired each other desperately.
“food” – suggests that satisfying their lust for each other was just as essential
as food – they couldn’t live without it.
Mrs Midas – Stanza 7
“But” – signals a clear turning point – she is no longer desperate for physical
intimacy with him.
“feared” – recalls earlier word choices suggesting that she is scared of her
husband.
“honeyed embrace” - metaphor; here the colour of honey is being equated
with the colour of gold. Honey is typically sweet, but the “honeyed” nature of
this embrace is deadly.
“kiss that would turn my lips into a work of art” – Mrs Midas fears being
turned into a golden statue by her husband.
Mrs Midas – Stanza 8
“heart of gold” – pun – the comic tone is resumed here.
“bore” – pun – “bore” as in bear the child and drill for a precious metal like gold.
Dream sequence – begins positively with the references to “perfect” and “precious”, but
descends into a nightmare with the simile “amber eyes holding their pupils like flies” and the
unpleasant imagery of “My dream milk burned in my breasts”. The horrible imagery may reflect
the horror Mrs Midas feels as she realises the physical impossibility of having her husband’s
child.
“I woke to the streaming sun” – the colour of the streaming sun is golden, thereby equating it
with her husband. This suggests that she will never be able to fully forget him as the beginning
of each day will remind her of him.
Mrs Midas – Stanza 9
“So he had to move out” – this statement, presumably made as consequence of the realisation
in the last stanza of not being able to become a mother with her husband, is made in a very
matter of fact and direct way. Is Mrs Midas being heartless here? Should she have more
compassion for her husband given his plight?
“glad of its own” – Midas will be completely isolated and segregated from humanity.
“wilds” – links back to the previous “wild” look Midas had when he was sitting at the dinner
table. He will be ostracised in the woods; having to fend for himself and living like an animal,
rather than a man.
“cover of dark” – is she ashamed of him, or is she perhaps scared of how others will treat him?
Obviously the “dark” contrasts with the light rendered by his touch.
Mrs Midas – Stanza 9
“the fool” – Mrs Midas thinks her husband has behaved in an idiotic manner
for wishing for a gift that has ruined their lives.
“At first” – she visited him initially but then stopped.
“odd times” – pun – suggesting now and again and the strangeness of the
situation.
“parking the car a good way off” – possibly suggests that she doesn’t trust her
husband. She is perhaps fearful that if he turns the car into gold she will have no
means of escape.
Mrs Midas – Stanza 10
“You know you were getting close” – second person pronoun is used here when one would
expect the first person “I”. This might suggest that the Midas myth has a universal truth and is
just as relevant to “you” – the reader – as it is for the couple in the poem. The moral of the tale don’t be short-sighted and selfish if you want to perpetuate a relationship – is applicable to all of
us.
“Golden”, “beautiful” and “glistening” – have positive connotations, suggesting perhaps that
Mrs Midas is viewing her husband more favourably here. However, “mistake” clearly has a
negative connotation. Perhaps this juxtaposition implies that Mrs Midas’s feelings towards her
husband are ambivalent.
“thin” – Midas appears to be starving.
“delirious” – he seems to be going mad.
Mrs Midas – Stanza 10
“hearing, he said the music of Pan from the woods” – links to the
Ancient Greek mythology of the original Midas tale. It suggests that
Midas’s mental state has unravelled to such an extent that he is now
hallucinating.
“That was the last straw” – it seems to be his mental instability
that has led Mrs Midas to decide to sever all ties with her husband.
Is this reasonable behaviour? Should she disown him in his hour of
greatest need?
Mrs Midas – Stanza 11
“idiocy” – suggests that she thinks Midas has acted in a foolish manner.
“greed” – suggests that she thinks Midas has a misguided love of money.
“lack of thought for me” – presumably a reference to his failure to think about how his actions
would impact on her ability to have a child. However, has she thought about how her actions
would impact on him?
“selfishness” – suggests she thinks he is self-absorbed and only acts in his own interests.
However, one could claim she is also guilty of selfishness.
“sold the contents of the house” – a somewhat ironic revelation; she ditched him because of
his power, but seems to be to happy benefit financially from that power.
“I think of him in certain lights” – the golden colours of the daylight remind her of him and his
golden touch.
Mrs Midas – Stanza 11
 “miss” – suggests an emotional longing to be reunited.
 “even now” – suggests she hasn’t seen him for a long time yet still pines for
him.
 “hands” – the repetition suggests how desperately she yearns for his touch.
 “warm” – suggests affection, love, tenderness and kindness.
 “touch” – suggests intimacy and physical connection.
Mrs Midas – Themes
Greed
Consequences of our actions
Loneliness
Thoughtlessness
Dreams
Form
Dramatic monologue
Free verse, irregular stanza lengths and enjambment – helps to
convey the unpredictability and chaotic nature of the Midas’s
situation.
The chaos is also underlined by the varying moods in the poem,
which range from comic to tragic.
Contrast
Ancient v modern
Comedy v tragedy
Calmness v chaos
Licentiousness v abstinence