Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Yesterdays", Robert Creeley reflects on a complex web of memories, spanning personal relationships, historical events, and his own journey as a poet and teacher. The poem moves through various scenes and eras, capturing moments of hope, struggle, and self-awareness. Through a stream-of-consciousness style and vivid, often nostalgic images, Creeley examines how the past shapes identity, how memory holds both joy and regret, and how time’s passage brings both continuity and change.

The poem begins with a specific moment in history—“Sixty-two, sixty-three”—placing the reader in the early 1960s, a time of social upheaval and personal transformation for Creeley. This period coincides with the death of the poet William Carlos Williams, a significant figure in American poetry, whose influence on Creeley and his contemporaries is subtly acknowledged here. The death of Williams signals a generational shift, marking the end of one era and, for Creeley, the beginning of a period of self-discovery and dislocation.

Creeley recalls his time in Guatemala, where he worked as a “Schoolmaster for the kids of the patrones / Of two coffee plantations.” This memory captures both the romantic allure and the economic hardship of life abroad, as Creeley reflects on how this experience “managed / Neither a life nor money.” The phrase suggests a sense of disillusionment, as if the adventure he sought did not yield the fulfillment or stability he expected. The lines convey the tension between idealism and reality, a recurring theme in Creeley’s work, as he grapples with the gap between his aspirations and the constraints of his circumstances.

The poem takes a darker turn with the line “Leslie dies in / Horror of bank giving way,” a tragic memory of a friend’s death that Creeley includes with startling directness. This loss adds a sense of gravity to the narrative, a reminder of the fragility and unpredictability of life. The suddenness of Leslie’s death contrasts with the more mundane struggles of Creeley’s own life, underscoring the randomness of fate and the ways in which tragedy intersects with ordinary existence.

From Guatemala, Creeley moves to another setting: Albuquerque, where he and his family “live in an old cement brick / Farmhouse already inside the city limits.” This domestic image, rooted in a specific location, captures a period of transition and grounding after the disorienting experience in Guatemala. Yet even as he describes this setting, there’s a sense that Creeley feels somewhat adrift, as if these physical places do not entirely satisfy his search for purpose or belonging.

The narrative then shifts to Vancouver, where Creeley describes “a curious dream” of escaping political turmoil—“the sad / Invasion of the Bay of Pigs, that bleak use / Of power.” Here, Creeley’s personal story intersects with a broader historical moment, capturing the disillusionment of his generation with American foreign policy. This disillusionment is mirrored in the story of a British colleague who has “converted the assets of himself and / His wife to gold bullion,” a symbol of distrust and the desire for security in unstable times. This detail adds a touch of dark humor to the narrative, as if to highlight the absurdity and fear underlying the choices people make in response to historical forces.

Creeley’s love for the young and their “freshness” adds a layer of hope, as he describes his fascination with young people seeking new lives in Canada. However, he tempers this optimism with a critical eye, noting that the “local country seems / Like a faded Edwardian sitcom.” This observation reflects Creeley’s ambivalence toward his surroundings; he is both captivated by and alienated from the culture and society around him, finding both vitality and a sense of decay.

The poem recounts a series of scenes in Vancouver, each illustrating the blending of the mundane and the extraordinary. A “stunned / Stoned woman runs one Saturday night up / And down the floors of the Hydro Electric / Building,” a surreal and comical image that contrasts with the poet’s previous, more serious reflections. This anecdote, along with memories of standing in “long / Patient lines” for beer, captures the spirit of the time, a mixture of countercultural exuberance and ordinary life.

Creeley then shifts to a defining event in his poetic life: the Vancouver Poetry Festival, where he reads alongside figures like Allen Ginsberg, Charles Olson, Robert Duncan, and Denise Levertov. This festival, featuring a “veritable host of the young,” serves as a high point in the poem, a celebration of creativity and camaraderie that brings together poets from across generations. Creeley’s memories of this festival convey both the excitement of being part of a literary community and the shared energy of the 1960s poetry scene. It is a moment of unity and purpose, one that stands out amid the poet’s otherwise fragmented memories.

The poem then takes a somber turn as Creeley recalls quitting his job and returning to Albuquerque, where he again faces the challenges of academic life and introspection. This return to routine contrasts sharply with the excitement of the poetry festival, suggesting a sense of cyclical return and perhaps disillusionment. The line “I must have / Seen myself as others see or saw me” reveals a moment of painful self-awareness, a glimpse of himself through the eyes of others that he finds difficult to accept. This line suggests a moment of crisis or self-doubt, as Creeley confronts his own limitations and the judgments of those around him.

In the poem’s final lines, Creeley reflects on his continuity over the years: “Thirty-eight years later / I seem to myself still much the same, / Even if I am happier, I think, and older.” This closing sentiment captures both resilience and resignation, as Creeley acknowledges his aging but also suggests that his core self has remained unchanged. There’s an ambiguity in his assertion of happiness, as if he’s uncertain whether time has truly brought him peace or merely a deeper understanding of his own nature.

In "Yesterdays", Robert Creeley crafts a complex tapestry of memory, loss, historical events, and self-reflection. Through fragmented yet vivid scenes, he captures the tensions between idealism and reality, youth and age, ambition and contentment. The poem’s episodic structure mirrors the way memory operates—shifting between moments, sometimes abrupt, sometimes lingering. "Yesterdays" is ultimately a meditation on the passage of time, the persistence of the self, and the inevitable mixture of joy, regret, and discovery that accompanies a life fully lived.

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