Mrs Midias

“It was late September. I’d just poured a glass of wine, begun / to unwind”

The calm, domestic tone creates a sense of normality and contentment. This contrast makes Midas’ transformation more shocking, highlighting how greed abruptly destroys an ordinary, happy life.

Then he came into the house. The doorknobs gleamed.”

The short sentence marks a turning point in the poem. The verb “gleamed” subtly introduces the golden curse, suggesting that Midas’ greed immediately disrupts domestic stability.

He toyed with his spoon, then mine, then with the knives, the forks.

The verb “toyed” suggests carelessness and irresponsibility. Midas treats his power like a game, showing his lack of foresight and highlighting how greed blinds him to consequences.

Separate beds”

This short sentence symbolises emotional and physical distance within the marriage. Midas’ greed has destroyed intimacy, leaving Mrs Midas isolated and lonely.

“I miss most, even now, his hands, his warm hands on my skin”

The repetition of “hands” emphasises longing and loss. Ironically, the very hands that gained power are what destroy human connection, reinforcing the poem’s message about the cost of greed.

“And who can live with a heart of gold?”

This rhetorical question challenges the idea that gold and wealth bring happiness. It suggests that emotional warmth and human connection are more valuable than material riches.

“What gets me now is not the idiocy or greed / but lack of thought for me”

Mrs Midas reflects that the true damage was not greed itself but Midas’ selfishness. This highlights how his actions ignored emotional consequences, reinforcing the poem’s moral lesson.