Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

William Matthews' poem "Reticence" delicately explores the themes of memory, silence, and unspoken desires. The poem begins with evocative imagery of moths and snow on a window, each representing different moments in time. The moths, with their ephemeral presence, hint at fleeting thoughts or memories that briefly touch the surface and then disappear. The snow, described with a simile comparing each flake to "an ice-doily some schoolchild cut with blunt-ended scissors," conveys a sense of innocence and fragility. This image not only evokes childhood and the innocence of creation but also the careful, delicate nature of the scene.

The poem subtly shifts from these physical descriptions to a more introspective tone with the line, "Never run with scissors, Jennifer, remember?" This admonition, likely a remembered warning from a parent or teacher, underscores the theme of caution and control. It serves as a metaphor for the careful handling of emotions and thoughts, perhaps hinting at the poet's own reticence or reluctance to fully express certain feelings.

The frozen window becomes a symbol of stasis and silence, "like a pond," suggesting a barrier between the inside and outside world. This metaphorical freezing over of expression aligns with the theme of reticence, where emotions and desires are held in check, just as water solidifies and conceals whatever lies beneath. The reference to going to the opera two nights in a row—first to see *La Bohème* and then *Cavalleria Rusticana* and *Pagliacci*—introduces the concept of repeated experiences and the blurring of reality and art.

The mention of "stage snow from the night before" lazily drifting down onto the Sicilian set the next night highlights the way remnants of the past linger and affect the present. This detail suggests how past experiences and emotions can subtly influence current situations, often without conscious acknowledgment. The "afterthought" of stage snow symbolizes these unnoticed or unintended consequences of our actions and experiences.

Matthews then poses an intriguing proposition: "Suppose what's / said is the plot, and what's not said is the long reverberation / of the plot, time." This idea suggests that the explicit narrative or dialogue (the "plot") is only a part of the experience, while the unsaid, the silent undercurrents (the "long reverberation"), carry the deeper, more resonant meanings. The poem explores the power of silence and the unspoken, hinting that these elements often hold more significance than the spoken words. The "starved glance at the window" becomes a potent image of longing and unfulfilled desire, a love that is felt but not articulated.

The closing lines, "a love that can, but will not, speak its name," encapsulate the essence of reticence. This phrase alludes to a restrained love, perhaps forbidden or unacknowledged, that exists beneath the surface but is never fully expressed. The use of the phrase "speak its name" suggests a deliberate choice to keep certain feelings hidden, aligning with the poem's exploration of the tension between expression and silence.

"Reticence" is a beautifully crafted meditation on the complexities of communication, memory, and unspoken desires. Matthews uses rich, evocative imagery to convey the delicate balance between what is said and what remains unsaid, suggesting that the latter often carries more weight. The poem subtly critiques the societal and personal tendencies to restrain emotions, pointing to the depth and richness that lies in the unarticulated aspects of life. Through its exploration of silence and expression, "Reticence" invites readers to consider the power of the unspoken and the myriad ways it shapes our experiences and relationships.

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