Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Robert Creeley';s "Drunks of Helsinki" offers a raw and vivid depiction of the social landscape, using the metaphor of a tram ride through a small city to explore themes of alienation, human excess, and the marginalized voices in society. Through evocative imagery and careful attention to human behavior, Creeley provides a powerful commentary on the nature of social interactions, the unacknowledged aspects of urban life, and the role of the outsider. The poem juxtaposes the controlled, orderly lives of the "sober" with the chaotic and expressive behavior of the "drunks," suggesting that these marginalized individuals may be the true voices of a deeper human experience.

The poem opens with a seemingly mundane scene: "Blue sky, a lurching tram makes headway / through the small city." The image of the tram moving through Helsinki under a "blue sky" suggests a sense of ordinary, everyday life. The tram is "lurching," indicating an uneven, perhaps uncomfortable journey, mirroring the way life often progresses in unpredictable ways. This initial scene sets the tone for the rest of the poem, which will delve into the tensions and contrasts that characterize urban existence.

"The quiet company sits shyly, avoiding its image, / else talks with securing friends." Here, the "quiet company" refers to the tram';s passengers, who sit reservedly, avoiding eye contact or conversation with strangers. This avoidance of one';s "image" implies a desire not to see oneself reflected in others, an effort to maintain privacy and anonymity in a public space. The reference to "securing friends" suggests that when conversation does occur, it is limited to known and trusted individuals. The use of "securing" emphasizes a need for comfort and protection in the face of an uncomfortable reality, indicating that the social dynamics on the tram are driven by a desire for security and a fear of vulnerability.

"This passage is through life as if in dream. / We know our routes and mean to get there." The tram ride becomes a metaphor for the journey through life, with its passengers moving along predetermined routes, guided by routine. The phrase "as if in dream" suggests a detachment from reality, as if the passengers are not fully engaged with their surroundings or each other. They "know their routes," but the sense of purpose is mechanical rather than meaningful—an indication that their journey is more about following a set path than actively participating in life.

"Now the foetid stink of human excess, / plaintive, and the person beside us lurches, yet stays stolidly there." This line introduces a shift in focus to the "drunks" of the poem, whose presence disrupts the otherwise quiet, orderly atmosphere of the tram. The "foetid stink of human excess" evokes a visceral reaction, highlighting the physical and sensory impact of these individuals on their fellow passengers. The description of someone "lurching, yet stays stolidly there" conveys a sense of instability combined with persistence—despite their inebriation, they remain part of the scene, a reminder of human fragility and excess.

"What are the signals? Despair, loss of determinants— / or a world just out of a bottle?" Here, Creeley questions the underlying motivations and experiences of the drunks. The "signals" they send are ambiguous, possibly reflecting "despair" or a "loss of determinants," suggesting a loss of direction or purpose. Alternatively, their behavior could simply represent "a world just out of a bottle," a temporary escape from reality through alcohol. This ambiguity highlights the complexity of their condition—are they simply indulging, or is there a deeper existential struggle at play?

"Day after day they clutter the tram stops, / fall sodden over seats and take their drunken ease / in the fragile world." The repetitive presence of the drunks at the tram stops, "day after day," suggests a sense of stagnation or entrapment. They "fall sodden over seats" and find "drunken ease" in a world that is described as "fragile," indicating that their behavior is a response to an environment that feels precarious and uncertain. Their presence becomes a part of the city';s fabric, a constant reminder of the underlying vulnerability of urban life.

"I think, they are the poets, the maledictive, / muttering words, fingers pointing, pointing, / jabbed outright across aisle to blank side of bank / or the company’s skittish presence." In this passage, Creeley makes a striking comparison between the drunks and poets. The "maledictive" suggests that their mutterings carry a curse or a critique, directed at the societal structures around them. Their "muttering words" and "fingers pointing" evoke an image of people who are trying to communicate something meaningful, perhaps expressing a truth that others prefer to ignore. The "blank side of bank" and the "company';s skittish presence" represent the faceless institutions and indifferent social structures that these individuals oppose, albeit in a disjointed and incoherent way.

"I saw a man keep slamming the post with his fist, / solid in impact, measured blows. / His semblable sat slumped in front of me, a single seat." The image of a man repeatedly "slamming the post with his fist" conveys a sense of frustration and impotent rage. The "measured blows" suggest a kind of ritualistic, deliberate action, as if the man is attempting to assert some form of control or make himself heard in a world that ignores him. The reference to his "semblable" (a counterpart or fellow being) sitting slumped nearby indicates a shared condition—these individuals are connected through their sense of disillusionment and struggle, even if they do not directly communicate with one another.

"They meet across the aisle in ranting voices, / each talking alone." This line emphasizes the isolation of these individuals, even when they appear to be interacting. Their "ranting voices" suggest intensity and passion, but "each talking alone" highlights the lack of true connection between them. They are speaking, but not truly communicating—a reflection of the broader theme of alienation that runs throughout the poem.

"In a place of so few words sparely chosen, / their panegyric slabbering whine has human if unexpected resonance." The poem shifts to contrast the sparse communication of the sober passengers with the "panegyric slabbering whine" of the drunks. Despite the chaotic and incoherent nature of their speech, there is something profoundly human about it, an "unexpected resonance" that captures an aspect of the human experience that the "sober" passengers are unwilling or unable to express. The drunks, in their unrestrained state, give voice to feelings and frustrations that others suppress.

"They speak for us, their careful friends, the sober / who scuttle from side to side in vacantly complex isolation, / in a company has compact consensus, minds empty of all conclusion." In these final lines, Creeley suggests that the drunks serve as a kind of voice for the "careful" and "sober" passengers, who live in a state of "vacantly complex isolation." The sober individuals "scuttle from side to side," avoiding confrontation and maintaining their distance, while their lives are marked by "compact consensus" and "minds empty of all conclusion." This suggests a conformity and emptiness, a reluctance to engage deeply with the complexities of life. In contrast, the drunks, in their chaotic and expressive state, embody a truth that the others are unwilling to face.

"Drunks of Helsinki" is a powerful reflection on alienation, social norms, and the marginalized voices that exist within urban environments. Through vivid imagery and a careful examination of human behavior, Robert Creeley captures the tension between the controlled, orderly lives of the sober and the expressive, chaotic existence of the drunks. The poem challenges readers to consider the value of these marginalized voices—those who, in their state of excess, give voice to the frustrations and desires that others suppress. Ultimately, Creeley presents a nuanced view of humanity, suggesting that there is a resonance and a truth in the voices of those who are often dismissed or ignored, and that their expressions may reflect the deeper struggles of the human condition.

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