Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Present (Present)," Robert Creeley reflects on memory, identity, and the fleeting nature of the present, using a series of fragmented thoughts, personal anecdotes, and humorous musings to explore the unreliability of recollection and the elusive quality of self. The title’s repetition—"Present (Present)"—suggests a layering of meanings, alluding both to the current moment and to a gift, perhaps implying that each moment is something given and quickly taken away. Creeley’s tone alternates between humor and melancholy, capturing a sense of loss and confusion as the speaker confronts the gaps in their memory and the instability of personal identity.

The poem opens with a reference to “Williams’ (Raymond’s) tome,” a cryptic question that sets a conversational and somewhat puzzling tone. By mentioning Raymond Williams, a Welsh critic and theorist known for his explorations of culture and language, Creeley hints at the complexity of language and meaning. The ellipsis following the mention of “tome” suggests an unfinished thought, as if the speaker is unsure or lost within their own reflections. This initial confusion establishes the poem’s theme of disjointedness, as though the speaker’s mind is struggling to connect ideas or find coherence amid the blur of memory and present awareness.

The next line—“Where have all the flowers gone? / I put them right here on the table . . .”—introduces a whimsical yet poignant image of forgetfulness. The phrase “Where have all the flowers gone?” echoes the popular folk song by Pete Seeger, evoking themes of loss and remembrance. By saying they “put them right here on the table,” the speaker implies that their memory is failing, as something as simple as the location of flowers has become elusive. The mention of “Mabel” adds a touch of humor, suggesting a casual, everyday interaction where the speaker’s memory is muddled even with familiar faces. This line reflects the experience of aging, where small details slip away, adding to the speaker’s sense of disorientation.

“God, my mind is slipping cogs, gaps of pattern, mucho fog . . .” captures the frustration of cognitive decline, where the mind’s mechanisms no longer function smoothly. The imagery of “slipping cogs” and “gaps of pattern” suggests that the speaker’s thoughts are becoming fragmented, unable to hold onto a coherent sequence. The phrase “mucho fog” humorously combines English and Spanish, creating a playful tone even as the speaker laments their mental fog. This line conveys a sense of vulnerability, as though the speaker is witnessing their own mental processes breaking down, leaving them adrift in a haze of partial recollections.

The speaker then reflects on the nature of self and identity, saying, “’twill be in my head alone that the symbiotic blur has formed— / to make no ‘we’ unless ‘they’ tell ‘us’ ‘you’ is ‘me’ and ‘I’ is nameless.” This passage addresses the complexities of personal identity, where self-concept is shaped by external influences and social interactions. The “symbiotic blur” suggests that identity is not fixed but is instead a fusion of individual perception and societal expectations. The speaker muses that there is no “we” without “they,” implying that collective identity depends on how others define us. This passage questions the solidity of the self, as though “I” becomes “nameless” in the face of this shifting, external construction of identity.

“Tom” is wrong? “I” is right? / Is this the point at which “we” fight?” introduces a playful questioning of names and pronouns, as if to underscore the arbitrary nature of labels. The humor here lightens the existential weight of the previous lines, suggesting that even debates about identity and correctness can seem absurd when viewed from a distance. This passage reflects the inherent tension in trying to define oneself in opposition to others, capturing the internal conflict that arises when one grapples with the ambiguity of selfhood.

The line “Us was never happy we, all that’s ever left is me” encapsulates the loneliness and isolation that accompany the dissolution of collective identity. By saying “Us was never happy we,” the speaker implies that the concept of a unified self or community was always an illusion. This reflection reinforces the theme of individual isolation, suggesting that attempts to create a shared identity often fall short, leaving the speaker alone in their own experience. This line conveys a sense of resignation, as though the speaker has accepted that identity is ultimately solitary and that connections with others are transient.

The subsequent lines introduce personal memories—“Past is what I can’t forget, where the flowers got to yet— / Mabel’s face, my mother’s hands, / clouds o’erhead last year at Cannes.” These images capture fleeting moments from the speaker’s past, emphasizing the persistence of memory even as the present slips away. The specificity of “Mabel’s face” and “my mother’s hands” adds emotional weight, suggesting that these small, personal memories are what remain as other details fade. The line about “clouds o’erhead last year at Cannes” introduces a more distant, idyllic memory, blending mundane and significant experiences in a way that reflects the random nature of memory.

The memory of “Kenneth Koch’s reaction when / we told him once at 3 AM / he should marry Barbara Epstein, / loosen up and have some fun” adds a humorous and vivid detail, grounding the speaker’s reflections in a specific social context. This anecdote captures the speaker’s connections with friends and the casual intimacy of late-night conversations, reinforcing the warmth and humanity of their memories. By including this light-hearted moment, Creeley shows that even as the speaker grapples with existential questions, they retain a sense of humor and a deep appreciation for the quirks of shared experience.

“Memory, the great pretender, / says it happened, thinks it was, / this way, that way, just because / it was in my head today . . .” reflects on the unreliable nature of memory, portraying it as a “pretender” that reconstructs events based on present feeling rather than objective truth. This passage suggests that memory is malleable, shaped by current perceptions and biases, as though each recollection is a blend of reality and imagination. The repetition of “this way, that way” captures the fluidity and inconsistency of memory, where events are remembered differently each time they are recalled.

The closing line, “Present (present) passed away,” returns to the theme of the fleeting present. By repeating “Present (present),” Creeley emphasizes the dual meaning of the word as both the current moment and something that can be given or lost. The phrase “passed away” imbues the present with a sense of finality, as though each moment dies as soon as it is experienced. This conclusion captures the ephemeral nature of life, where the present is continually slipping into memory, leaving the speaker to grapple with what remains.

In "Present (Present)," Robert Creeley explores the impermanence of the self, the unreliability of memory, and the loneliness that accompanies aging. Through fragmented reflections and a mix of humor and melancholy, the poem captures the struggle to make sense of a life that feels increasingly scattered and intangible. The speaker’s musings on identity, memory, and the passing of time reflect a profound awareness of human transience, suggesting that even as the present eludes us, we are left with the echoes of our experiences, imperfect and partial though they may be. Ultimately, "Present (Present)" is a meditation on the fleeting nature of existence, where each moment is both a gift and a loss, leaving only the faint traces of memory in its wake.

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