Poem Analysis: Nude Descending a Staircase by X.J. Kennedy

Nude Descending a Staircase

X. J. Kennedy

Toe upon toe, a snowing flesh,
A gold of lemon, root and rind,
She sifts in sunlight down the stairs
With nothing on. Nor on her mind.

We spy beneath the banister
A constant thresh of thigh on thigh--
Her lips imprint the swinging air
That parts to let her parts go by.

One-woman waterfall, she wears
Her slow descent like a long cape
And pausing, on the final stair
Collects her motions into shape.

In “Nude Descending the Staircase”, the language used really describes the image in motion. Utilizing the phrases “one-woman waterfall”, “long cape”, and “collects her motions into shape”, the poet creates the idea that the woman is moving through space.  Another aspect that the poet takes full advantage of from the painting is how he describes the woman. He doesn’t just say that she is naked; he uses phrases, “a snowing flesh” (describing the paleness of her skin), “A constant thresh of thigh on thigh” (rather big, especially in the thighs), and “a gold of lemon” (stating that she has a glow to her, probably because of the sun shining on her).  Lastly, I enjoyed the poem’s length—rather than being this really long poem, the artist managed to skim the words down to the most necessary.