Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Richard Wilbur’s "We" is a sharp, satirical reflection on postwar anxieties, nationalism, and the fragility of collective identity. The poem examines the ways in which external threats and internal divisions shape a society?s sense of "we," critiquing the shallow and often exclusionary basis upon which unity is constructed. Through its formal structure, incisive wit, and deliberate invocation of political and social tensions, Wilbur interrogates the complexities of belonging, power, and fear in a changing world.

The poem opens with a chillingly casual discussion of nuclear war: “We ought to drop the bomb at once before / Those Russians do.” This statement captures the paranoia and aggression of Cold War rhetoric, framing the existential threat of mutual annihilation as a matter of preemptive action and assumed agreement. The collective “we” immediately becomes complicit, with the narrator acknowledging, “Of course we do,” as though dissent were unthinkable. This assumed unanimity sets the stage for Wilbur’s exploration of the hollowness and hypocrisy underlying such declarations of unity.

The imagery of “Continentals” rising in “clouds of tea” evokes a parody of genteel society, whose members are wrapped in “decorous rags, and decorative gore.” The juxtaposition of refinement and violence underscores the absurdity of a society that cloaks its aggression in civility. These figures, defined by their self-conscious connection to “ancestry,” embody a nostalgia for a past that they idealize but fail to meaningfully uphold. The invocation of tea—an allusion to both social rituals and revolutionary history—further complicates this portrait, suggesting that the symbols of unity and defiance have been co-opted into empty gestures.

The dialogue between Mr. Fee and Miss Blood reveals the superficiality of this community’s deliberations. Mr. Fee’s concern that “we’re growing soft” reflects a yearning for a more hardened, decisive past, while Miss Blood’s polite inquiry, “Lemon?,” highlights the incongruity between the trivialities of their tea-drinking rituals and the grave matters they discuss. The line “We mustn’t shilly shally any more” is both a critique of indecision and an ironic echo of their ineffectual posturing. Their movements, described as a “quick-step out the door” and a pivot around the shrubbery, evoke a dance-like performance, emphasizing the theatricality and insincerity of their supposed unity.

The poem’s central critique emerges as it explores the fragility of the collective “we.” The assertion “How good to have the Russians to abhor” reveals how external enemies serve to unify a fractured society by providing a convenient target for collective disdain. Yet this unity is fleeting and superficial, as the narrator acknowledges: “Who haven’t been quite certain since the war / Precisely what we meant by saying we.” This line exposes the uncertainty and contradictions at the heart of national identity, suggesting that the end of World War II brought not clarity but disillusionment and division.

Wilbur further interrogates the disintegration of this collective identity by introducing “alien elements” that disrupt the established order. The servant girl’s defiance, diminishing dividends, and the perceived encroachment of marginalized groups—“The Jews have bought my cottage by the shore”—reflect the anxieties of a privileged class struggling to maintain its dominance. These grievances, trivial in comparison to the global threats they ostensibly discuss, reveal the pettiness and self-interest underlying their broader fears.

The final lines, with their image of the narrator retreating from a world that feels increasingly unfamiliar, encapsulate the poem’s critique of exclusionary nationalism and social fragmentation: “I feel at times like locking up the door / And never even going out to tea.” The act of locking the door symbolizes a retreat into isolation, a rejection of engagement with the very world they claim to defend. This withdrawal underscores the ultimate failure of the collective “we,” which cannot withstand the pressures of change and difference.

Structurally, the poem’s tight rhyme scheme and rhythmic precision mirror the controlled, performative nature of the society it critiques. Wilbur’s language is both elegant and biting, blending humor with scathing commentary to expose the contradictions and hypocrisies of his subjects. The poem’s satirical tone underscores its broader philosophical inquiry into the fragility of unity and the dangers of exclusionary thinking.

At its heart, "We" is a meditation on the complexities of collective identity and the human tendency to define unity through opposition. By juxtaposing the trivialities of social rituals with the existential threats of war and societal change, Wilbur critiques the shallow foundations of nationalism and the self-serving impulses that undermine true solidarity. Through its incisive wit and layered imagery, the poem invites readers to reflect on the meaning of “we” and the forces that shape—and often erode—our shared sense of belonging.

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