Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Seven: A Suite for Robert Therrien," Robert Creeley creates a series of poetic vignettes inspired by the art and aesthetic of Robert Therrien, whose work often involved enlarging everyday objects and exploring simple forms with an evocative, surreal quality. Each section of this suite—"Straight," "Plate," "Red," "Snowman," "Wings," "Box," and "Boat"—focuses on a specific image or idea, using sparse, almost cryptic language to evoke emotional resonance and philosophical reflection. Creeley’s minimalism mirrors Therrien’s artistic approach, drawing readers into a world where common objects and ideas gain symbolic weight, inviting contemplation on themes of spirituality, solitude, mortality, and wonder.

In "Straight," Creeley explores a vision of transcendence. The line “They were going up in a straight line right to God, once they died” suggests a simple, direct ascent, evoking a childlike understanding of the afterlife. The image of “the hills of home” as a “yellow pointer” toward God, or “God’s simplistic finger,” uses nature as a guide, a visible sign pointing toward the divine. The steeple that “still glows in the late light” stands as a quiet reminder of faith, even as “all else [is] whited out,” emphasizing the spiritual significance of this singular image amid a fading landscape. This piece captures the tension between life’s transience and the enduring promise of spiritual ascension.

In "Plate," the speaker expresses a desire for isolation and peace—“All I ever wanted was a place up there by myself.” The reference to “an old blue place” and “an old blue plate” adds a nostalgic tone, suggesting a longing for simplicity and stability. The blue sky or water, described as an “absolute circle,” symbolizes a search for clarity or unity. By mentioning that “they couldn’t tell the difference” between sky and water, Creeley blurs the boundaries between physical spaces and metaphors for emotional states. The “Blue plate special” subtly hints at the familiar comforts of the mundane, turning the color blue into a multifaceted symbol of both solitude and connection to something eternal.

"Red" captures the intensity and raw energy of speed and pain, expressed through the color red. “When it goes that fast you don’t see anything but speed, you see red” conveys the overwhelming force of something moving too quickly to comprehend, potentially symbolizing anger, passion, or danger. The splinter “stuck in my hand” is a small but visceral detail, grounding the piece in a physical sensation of discomfort. The mention of World War I bombs as resembling this experience adds historical weight to the color red, suggesting both the personal and collective memories of violence and trauma. Here, red becomes a color of immediacy, urgency, and a reminder of life’s fragility.

"Snowman" delves into the surreal with images that seem playful yet also unsettling. The speaker encourages others to “help the holes be bigger” and “put your hand in,” creating a sense of tactile engagement with the unknown. The reference to “a point on top of his head—two of them” hints at a child’s snowman or possibly a cartoonish figure, yet there’s a sinister edge as Creeley contrasts this image with a “curious key hole.” The desire to “go into the immense blue yonder” and the mention of “a negative number times three” brings an abstract, almost existential contemplation, as though the speaker is grappling with the infinite. This piece plays with the simplicity of childlike images, only to complicate them with a sense of deeper mystery.

In "Wings," Creeley shifts to natural imagery with “hills out there or mounds / Or breasts filling the horizon.” This line captures a sense of wonder at the landscape, drawing connections between nature and the human body, imbuing hills or mounds with sensuality and nurturing warmth. The speaker’s exclamation, “It’s a bird! Such grace,” suggests an appreciation for beauty in motion, possibly an awe for life’s fleeting moments. Placing “you” on the windowsill “against the blue, white yellow sky,” the speaker transforms the image into that of a seagull, a creature that represents freedom and the pull of the horizon. This segment captures a longing for flight or escape, a sense of distance, and the enduring beauty of the natural world.

"Box" introduces a darker, almost macabre tone, as the speaker contemplates the object’s capacity to contain or confine. “What do you think he’s got it for unless he means to use it” suggests a sense of foreboding, as though the box holds something ominous. References to a coffin—“People walked through the town carrying coffins!”—and the children’s rhyme “The worms crawl in” evoke images of death and burial, a box as a final resting place. The humor in “just stand him up in the corner” tempers this grimness with a touch of absurdity, as if mocking the ritualized nature of death. The box becomes a symbol of containment, mortality, and perhaps the human desire to impose order on the unknown.

Finally, in "Boat," Creeley returns to a gentler tone with the image of a boat as a vessel of solace and escape. “Rock me, boat” conveys a yearning for comfort and security, as though the boat represents a nurturing force. The repetition of “open, open” reflects a desire to be welcomed or embraced, while “Hold me, little cupped hand” imbues the boat with a sense of tenderness, as if it were a caregiver or companion. The line “sail off, sail off…” trails into an ellipsis, suggesting an openness to adventure or the unknown, a willingness to journey into new experiences. The boat becomes a metaphor for freedom, exploration, and the gentle passage through life’s waters.

In "Seven: A Suite for Robert Therrien," Robert Creeley uses simple, vivid images to evoke a wide range of emotions and ideas, from spiritual yearning to existential mystery, from nostalgic solitude to confrontation with mortality. Each piece within the suite functions as a self-contained meditation, yet together they form a broader exploration of the human experience through the lens of seemingly mundane objects. Inspired by Therrien’s art, Creeley’s poems transform everyday imagery into powerful symbols, reminding readers of the layered meanings that reside in simple forms. Ultimately, the suite captures the beauty, humor, and poignancy of life’s ordinary objects and experiences, suggesting that meaning can be found in even the most unassuming aspects of existence.

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