Katie Leite

English 202-10
4/7/15

When You Wish for Death upon a Star

In her poem Sleeping Beauty Loves the Needle, Jeannine Hall Gailey is able to create
the characterization that Sleeping Beauty is not a mere victim to horrible circumstance, but rather
she is her own, merciless villain. This reimagining of the Princesss disposition in turn
emphasizes the moral from the original tale that parents cannot always protect their children,
since it is impossible to shelter someone when that person casts themselves into their own
personal doom. Gailey is able to achieve this alternate perspective of Sleeping Beauty through
her retelling of the scene where the princess falls victim to death by using the genre of poetry,
which focuses on tapping into the readers emotions in order to convey meaning.
In fairytales, the thoughts of the main characters are often non-existent, or if present
simplistic since the story is told through the actions of the protagonist, ultimately determining
their characterization and the readers judgment. In the fairytale Sun, Moon, and Talia, by
Giambattista Basile, Talia (Sleeping Beauty) falls into the classic deep sleep after Prompted by
curiositytaking the distaff in her hand, began to draw out the thread; but unfortunately a
splinter in the hemp got under her fingernail, and she immediately fell dead to the ground (67).
Based on this passage, the actions of Sleeping Beauty occurred through her spirit of inquiry,
leading the reader to infer that she is an innocent child longing to understand the world around
her. This simplistic thought process therefore creates the focus that Sleeping Beauty is not at
fault for being cast into the lengthy sleep, but rather she is victim to a dreadful curse as
exemplified through her harmless actions.
Poetry creates a new perspective of classic fairytale characters through exposing the
reader to a different vantage point of the story which includes access to the protagonists
innermost feelings. Once thought of as a pure child in the fairytale world, Sleeping Beauty is
transformed into a self-inflicting villain who is struggling with her internal darkness in the poem
by Gailey. The cursed sleep is something Sleeping Beauty craves, as she desires an eternal rest in

the form of death. No longer is she seen as a little girl caught up in the wonders of the world
around her as suggested in the original tale, but now in the poem she battles with her conscience
about whether or not to commit suicide. The reader finds the doomed Princess in her room
watching the damselflies dart through cracks in the ceiling when all of a sudden The bird at
the window tells [her] to drop the gun (Gailey). The bird is her conscience trying to stop her
horrendous actions, and This bird holds a branch of judgment which leads the reader to believe
the bird symbolizes peace, life and a chance at hope (Gailey). In fairytales, a reader is often
presented with characters that are either good or bad with few in the gray areas between.
Applying this same genre expectation of fairytales to the land of poetry, it is therefore seen that
the bird is good, and Sleeping Beauty is evil as demonstrated through her immoral thoughts.
Ridden with symbolic language and metaphors, poetry is able to take readers on an
emotional journey through the ambiguous wording in order to convey meaning. With the vivid
descriptions presented in the flowery language of poetry, the powerful image of Her two white
feet cold as her heart as caused by her fall[ing] for the hired gun sparks an emotional response
in the reader (Gailey). The subject of suicide which is evident in the poem, or even a less intense
personal struggle is relatable to many readers as nearly everyones life is full of imperfections.
Therefore, actions such as pressing a face to [a] pillow is able to create a visual that reminds
the reader of their own past, consequently bringing forth the emotions associated with the
original memory and allowing for a deeper understanding of the text (Gailey). Also, the various
symbols within the tale are ambivalent, allowing the experience of the poem to change for each
individual. Cryptic words such as when the stars rain down may symbolize a nighttime sky
filled with comets and twinkling stars to one reader, or the end of the world to another,
expressing that every line in a poem has potential for thousands of meanings (Gailey). After

being pulled into a darker state of mind from reading this poem which contains strong emotional
ties through its symbolism, the personal tragedy of Sleeping Beauty continues to shape her into a
girl who needs psychological help, further altering any pre-conceived notions of her character
from the original fairytale.
Re-conceptualizing Sleeping Beauty may change the perspective the reader holds of her
character, but doing so also reiterates the original moral in the tale that parents cannot protect
their children. In the fairytale, the King had commanded that no flax or hemp or any other
similar material should ever come into this house, but despite his efforts she was still
condemned to the same fate (Basile, 67). Conversely, in the poem, Sleeping Beauty literally
Loves the Needle as the title suggests as she plans and executes her suicide (Gailey). This
twist in the poem of how Sleeping Beauty longs for her death suggests that her parents could
have never protected her, since this fate was something of her own personal desire. This
alternate perspective creates a deepening with the moral, emphasizing its validity in the real
world that one cannot protect someone from themselves, since the decisions of others are what
ultimately determine the course of their lives.
Through the genre of poetry, fairytales are repurposed from providing lessons and morals
to children, to bringing an emotional journey of entertainment to adults representing a closer
view to reality. Rather than simplistic writing for easy understanding, the language in poems
opens the window to countless interpretations which are relatable to the reader's own life. Also
with obliterating the concept of a happily ever after, the reimagining of fairytales through poetry
is relevant to many of the poems adult audience since in todays day and age, a fairytale ending
is only that of a childs dream.