Poem Analysis - Please Master

Introduction: A Litany of Submission

Allen Ginsberg's "Please Master" is a raw and intensely explicit exploration of desire, power dynamics, and the complexities of submission. The poem, structured as a series of increasingly urgent requests, plunges the reader into a world of BDSM and challenges conventional notions of love and sexuality. The poem's tone is initially pleading and reverent, but it escalates into a frenzy of demanding and ecstatic surrender, revealing the speaker's deep psychological need for dominance and degradation. There are shifts in the speaker's desire, from mere touch, to deeper, more extreme acts, which mirror the complex layers of the BDSM lifestyle.

Unveiling the Power Dynamic

One of the primary themes in "Please Master" is the exploration of power and control. The speaker relinquishes all agency, repeatedly begging for permission and direction. This complete submission creates a distinct power imbalance, where the "Master" holds absolute authority. The consistent repetition of "Please master" emphasizes the speaker's subservience and highlights the intoxicating nature of this dynamic for both parties. This dynamic is not necessarily about abuse but can be about the deliberate and consensual playing out of roles within a relationship.

Sexuality as Religious Experience

The poem uses religious imagery to explore the theme of sexual desire as a form of spiritual experience. The language of worship is evident from the beginning with phrases like "kneel at your feet," "kiss your ankles and soul," and "take me to thee." The speaker elevates the "Master" to a godlike figure, seeking transcendence through physical intimacy and degradation. By juxtaposing sacred and profane language, Ginsberg challenges traditional religious views on sexuality and suggests that the body and its desires can be a pathway to heightened consciousness or, at least, profound personal experience. The idea of absolution and acceptance is interwoven in the speaker's requests.

The Body as a Site of Pain and Pleasure

The poem vividly portrays the body as a site of intense sensory experience, encompassing both pain and pleasure. The speaker repeatedly asks for acts that involve discomfort, such as being pushed and prodded, having their "hole feels the breath of your spit," and being penetrated "till it hurts me." This masochistic desire is not simply about physical pain but also about the psychological release and surrender that comes from submitting to another's control. The detailed descriptions of the body – "bald hairy skull," "wrinkled self-hole," "thick shaft" – emphasize the physicality of the encounter and the speaker's willingness to embrace all aspects of their own and their partner's bodies.

Ambiguity and Interpretation

The poem's ending, filled with fragmented pleas and animalistic imagery ("dog," "ass beast," "yelping with terror delight"), leaves room for interpretation. Is the speaker truly finding liberation and self-discovery in this extreme act of submission, or are they trapped in a cycle of degradation and self-loathing? The poem avoids offering easy answers, instead presenting a complex and unsettling portrait of human desire. The speaker’s use of violent and affectionate language, like “violent, my eyes hid with your palms round my skull & plunge down in a brutal hard lash thru soft drip-fish” shows the conflicting emotions that the speaker is experiencing.

Conclusion: Beyond Conventional Boundaries

"Please Master" is a provocative and challenging poem that pushes the boundaries of what is considered acceptable in both poetry and sexuality. By exploring the themes of power, desire, and the body, Ginsberg invites readers to confront their own preconceptions about pleasure, pain, and the complexities of human relationships. The poem ultimately reveals that within the extreme act of submission, there can be a paradoxical sense of freedom and self-discovery, even if that freedom is found within the rigid confines of a power dynamic.