Mrs. Midas is a poem written by Carol Ann Duffy, the current Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom. It tells the story of the mythical character King Midas, who was famously granted the ability to turn anything he touched into gold. In this version of the story, however, Midas is married to a woman who becomes known as Mrs. Midas.
The poem begins with Mrs. Midas reflecting on the day that her husband received his gift from the god Dionysus. She remembers how excited and happy they were, and how they spent the first few days turning everything they could into gold. Mrs. Midas even turned her own wedding ring into gold, thinking it would be a great joke to tell their friends.
However, as the days went by, Mrs. Midas began to realize the true cost of her husband's gift. She watched as Midas turned their garden into a barren wasteland, and as the animals in the forest turned to gold and died. She watched as their food and drink turned to gold as well, leaving them with nothing to eat or drink.
As Mrs. Midas becomes more and more desperate, she begs her husband to return the gift and turn everything back to normal. Midas, however, is unwilling to give up his newfound wealth and power. He tells his wife that they will simply have to find a way to live with their new circumstances.
In the end, Mrs. Midas is forced to live in a world of gold, unable to touch or feel anything without it turning to the precious metal. She becomes a lonely and isolated figure, longing for the days when she and her husband were just a normal couple.
The poem "Mrs. Midas" is a cautionary tale about the dangers of greed and the ultimate futility of material wealth. It serves as a reminder that true happiness and fulfillment cannot be found in material possessions, but rather in relationships and experiences.
