Metaphor in Mark Doty’s "Difference"

In Mark Doty's poem "Difference" there is a very interesting statement about jellyfish. The first half of the poem focuses on several metaphors for jellyfish such as "this one a breathing heart, this a pulsing flower. This one a rolled condom, or a plastic purse swallowing itself,that one a Tiffany shade" (17-21). These metaphors are obvious and provide some easily imagined imagery, each one is relatable to the look and/or shape of a jellyfish. It is not until around the halfway point of the poem that the speaker uses the metaphors to his advantage when he says "sheer ectoplasm recognizable only as the stuff of metaphor." (31-33) It is at this point that the reader can begin to understand how the speaker looks at jellyfish.

Imagine a young child at an aquarium. He is looking into a tank full of jellyfish with big eyes full of wonder. Imagine what is going through his mind. He is not thinking "Look at the beauty of marine life." he is thinking "Wow, those look like floating glowing grocery bags!" Most poems are entirely dependent upon the use of metaphor and there is no shortage of school assignments begging students to "Find the metaphor!" Metaphors, after all, are the basis for all education. We learn how one thing works by pointing out its similarities to something we already know. You could say there is an often childhood-like feeling accompanying metaphor even when using metaphors for very adult things like war or death. "Difference" follows the basic rules of using metaphors, but is different for how it dissects what metaphors mean. The speaker is using jellyfish as something that automatically applies itself to metaphor. It is almost impossible to look at a jellyfish for a period of more than a few seconds and not think of what else it looks like besides a jellyfish. By using such an easy metaphor and comparing it to things like condoms and opera, the speaker is representing the imagination of the world itself.

"Hear how the mouth, so full of longing for the world, changes its shape?" (58-60). We see all these things in jellyfish, because our imaginations want to see it. Is that not what fuels our imagination, the longing to see what is not there? Jellyfish as a metaphor for metaphors? All I see is a floating grocery bag.