Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Iowa City to Boulder" by William Matthews captures the contemplative experience of a long, solitary drive, highlighting the interplay between physical movement and introspection. The poem begins with the speaker setting out at night, preferring the cover of darkness to conceal practical concerns like a "lapsed / inspection" on the vehicle. This detail subtly sets a tone of quiet rebellion and a desire for anonymity or escape.

As the speaker drives through the night, they engage in solitary rituals: singing and making promises to themselves. These activities suggest an attempt to stay awake and entertained, but also hint at deeper introspection and the crafting of personal resolutions. The night drive becomes a space for reflection, where the solitude and the rhythmic motion of the car allow for a conversation with oneself.

By dawn, the speaker finds themselves "on the high plains," a landscape that evokes openness and vastness. The transition from night to morning brings physical and mental fatigue, described as "driving tired and cagey." The use of "cagey" implies a sense of guardedness or wariness, perhaps of the dangers of the road or the introspections stirred during the drive. The mention of "Red-winged blackbirds / on the mileposts, like candle flames," provides a striking image of small, vibrant details standing out against the backdrop of a monotonous landscape. The birds' movements, balancing against "the blasts of truck wakes," metaphorically mirror the speaker's own balancing act of staying awake and focused.

The phrase "The dust of not sleeping / drifts in my mouth" captures the physical sensation of fatigue, further emphasized by the blurred perception of time and distance: "five or six / miles slur by uncounted." This sense of detachment and the passage of unremarkable miles underscore the meditative, almost trance-like state induced by long-distance driving.

The poem reveals a complex relationship with these drives: "I say I hate long-distance / drives but I love them." This contradiction highlights the ambivalence many feel toward solitary travel—its tediousness counterbalanced by the freedom and introspective space it offers. The landscape becomes a metaphor for this internal journey, with "the flat light" staining "the foothills / pale," suggesting a muted beauty in the environment, paralleling the subdued introspection of the speaker.

The poem's conclusion captures the arrival in Boulder, where the speaker speeds "up the canyon / to sleep until the little lull / the insects take at dusk." This arrival is not marked by any grand epiphany but rather a transition into rest and a brief escape from the demands of introspection and vigilance. The mention of "the little lull / the insects take at dusk before / they say their names all night in the loud field" closes the poem with a return to nature's rhythms, a soothing contrast to the mechanical hum of the drive.

"Iowa City to Boulder" reflects on the physical and mental landscape traversed during a long drive. Matthews uses vivid imagery and subtle metaphors to explore the interplay between movement and reflection, solitude and the natural world. The poem captures the nuanced experience of journeying alone, where the road becomes a space for both contemplation and the simple, persistent forward motion of life.

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