Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Escape," by Kenneth Fearing, is a powerful exploration of the human desire to break free from the constraints of identity, the law, and societal expectations. The poem paints a vivid picture of a person on the run, attempting to erase every trace of their existence and slip into anonymity. Through intense imagery and rhythmic language, Fearing captures the tension and desperation inherent in this quest for freedom while also critiquing the dehumanizing forces that drive people to such extremes.

The poem begins with a series of surgical and chemical actions aimed at obliterating personal identification: "Acid for the whorls of the fingertips; for the face, a surgeon's knife; oblivion to the name." This imagery suggests a deliberate and violent erasure of one's physical and social identity, highlighting the extreme measures taken to disappear completely. The "acid for the whorls of the fingertips" and "surgeon's knife" for the face are symbolic of a complete transformation, while "oblivion to the name" reflects the desire to abandon one's past entirely.

Fearing then introduces a list of personal characteristics that are used to identify individuals: "eyes, hands, color of hair, condition of teeth, habits, haunts, the subject's health." These details, often found in wanted posters and police reports, emphasize the invasive scrutiny of law enforcement and the pressure to conform to a set identity. The repeated phrase "wanted or not, guilty or not guilty, dead or alive" underscores the indifference of the authorities to innocence or guilt, focusing instead on the need to capture and control.

The poem then poses a question to the reader, asking if they've seen this man "Walk in a certain distinctive way through the public streets / or the best hotels, turn and go." This distinctive walk symbolizes the individuality that remains even as the fugitive tries to blend in. The imagery of "escape from marshals, sheriffs, collectors, thugs; from the landlord's voice or a shake of the head" conveys the oppressive forces chasing the subject, ranging from law enforcement to financial pressures.

The poem captures the surreal and almost magical nature of the escape: "walk, run, slip from the earth into less than air?" This image of slipping "into less than air" suggests a disappearance so complete that the individual becomes a ghost, vanishing from the records and memories of society.

Fearing describes how the fugitive becomes "Gone from the teletype, five-feet ten; lost from the headlines, middle-aged, grey, posed as a gentleman; a drawling voice in a blue serge suit, fled from the radio, / forehead scarred." Here, the person is reduced to basic identifiers, stripped of individuality and known only through impersonal descriptions in the media.

The next stanza provides a detailed list of actions taken to ensure anonymity: "Tear up the letters and bury the clothes, throw away the keys, file the number from the gun, burn the record of birth, smash the name from the tomb, bathe the fingers in acid, wrap the bones in lime." This sequence suggests a systematic destruction of every trace of the person's existence. The mention of "smash the name from the tomb" and "wrap the bones in lime" implies an almost necromantic attempt to erase one's very memory.

Despite these drastic measures, Fearing acknowledges that "something must be saved from the rise and fall of the copper's club; something must be kept from the auctioneer's hammer." This desire to preserve a sense of self reveals the internal conflict between obliteration and identity. The "auctioneer's hammer" and "copper's club" symbolize societal forces that reduce people to commodities or criminals.

The poem builds to a powerful climax with a vision of liberation: "go, go free, arise with the voice that pleads not guilty, / go with the verdict that ascends forever beyond steel-barred windows into blue, deep space." Here, Fearing imagines a transcendence beyond legal judgments and social labels, suggesting a metaphysical escape into "blue, deep space."

The poem then shifts back to the grim reality of the legal system: "Guilty of vagrancy, larceny, sedition, assault, / tried, convicted, sentenced, paroled, imprisoned, re- / leased, hunted, seized." This litany of charges reflects the criminalization of poverty and dissent, while the repetition of "tried, convicted, sentenced" underscores the cycle of oppression.

Fearing concludes with a final question: "under what name and last seen where? And in what disguise did the soiled, fingerprinted, bruised, secondhand, worndown, scarred, familiar disguise escape?" The use of "soiled," "bruised," "secondhand," and "worndown" conveys the wear and tear of life on the run.

In the final lines, "No name, any name, nowhere, nothing, no one, none," Fearing encapsulates the fugitive's ultimate goal: total erasure of identity and a complete escape from societal constraints.

In "Escape," Kenneth Fearing masterfully blends vivid imagery and rhythmic language to explore the desperate desire for freedom in a dehumanizing world. Through his portrayal of a fugitive attempting to disappear, he critiques a society that reduces individuals to mere data points and labels while revealing the paradoxical need to preserve one's sense of self amid erasure. The poem is a powerful reflection on identity, control, and the elusive nature of freedom.

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