Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Anne Sexton's poem "The Road Back" captures a moment of transition, one that is both physical and emotional, as a family returns from a summer vacation. The poem speaks to the inevitable passage of time and the often-unacknowledged melancholy that accompanies the end of a season, especially one associated with joy and freedom. Through the imagery of the journey back home, Sexton explores themes of loss, memory, and the human tendency to deny or resist the reality of change.

The poem begins with a vivid scene: "The car is heavy with children / tugged back from summer." This opening immediately sets the tone, suggesting a weightiness not just in the physical sense but in the emotional burden of leaving behind the carefree days of summer. The children, "swept out of their laughing beach," are being removed from a place of happiness and play, a setting that represents innocence and the fleeting nature of joy. The phrase "swept out" implies a sudden or even forceful transition, emphasizing the abruptness with which pleasurable moments can end.

Sexton introduces the idea of a "persistent rumor" that "tells them nothing ends." This rumor can be interpreted as the comforting lie or the hopeful belief that the good times will last forever, or at least that their memory will persist undiminished. However, the poem gradually dismantles this belief, acknowledging that time moves forward inexorably, and with it, the inevitability of change and loss.

As the journey continues, the poem shifts focus to the adults in the car: "Today we fret and pull on wheels, ignore our regular loss / of time." Here, Sexton highlights the parents' preoccupation with the practicalities of driving, suggesting that they are deliberately avoiding thoughts of the passage of time and the end of summer. The act of "count[ing] cows and others" becomes a distraction, a way to keep the mind occupied and away from the deeper realization that time is slipping away.

The sun, moving "like an old albatross," is a powerful symbol in the poem. The albatross, often associated with burden and bad luck (as in Coleridge's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"), represents the unavoidable presence of time. The instruction that "we must not count nor kill" this albatross suggests a recognition that time cannot be controlled or stopped, only accepted. The poem implies that while the adults understand this on some level, they still engage in denial, refusing to fully confront the reality of time's passage.

Sexton writes, "There is no word for time." This line reflects the abstract and elusive nature of time, as well as the difficulty of truly comprehending its effects. The poem emphasizes a collective decision to avoid thinking about the end of summer or the cyclical nature of time: "Today we will / not think to number another summer / or watch its white bird into the ground." The "white bird" could symbolize both the summer's freedom and the eventual return to the routines and responsibilities of everyday life, something that the family is not yet ready to face.

The poem concludes with a broader, more universal reflection: "Today, all cars, / all fathers, all mothers, all / children and lovers will / have to forget / about that thing in the sky, / going around / like a persistent rumor / that will get us yet." Here, Sexton extends the experience of the family in the car to everyone—parents, children, lovers—implying that the denial of time's passage is a common, shared experience. The "thing in the sky" is likely the sun, a symbol of time and its cyclical nature. It is described as a "persistent rumor," something ever-present and unavoidable, yet often ignored or pushed to the back of our consciousness.

"The Road Back" is a meditation on the inevitable end of joyful experiences and the human tendency to resist acknowledging the passage of time. Anne Sexton uses the imagery of a family returning from vacation to explore the complex emotions associated with leaving behind the warmth and freedom of summer. Through her rich symbolism and reflective tone, Sexton invites the reader to consider how we all cope with the transitions in our lives, often choosing denial or distraction rather than confronting the truth that time, like the sun, is always moving forward, leading us inexorably toward the future and its unknowns.

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