Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In Robert Creeley’s “The Disappointment,” the poet plays with the idea of perception and expectation in relationships. He begins with an unusual comparison, imagining the other person with “the eyes of a goat,” which he describes as “almond, half-green, half-yellow, an almond shape to them.” This detailed envisioning of goat-like eyes serves as a striking metaphor for a desired difference, a quality that the speaker appears to seek but does not find. The use of animal imagery introduces a mythical, otherworldly layer, as goat eyes are often associated with an untamed, primal quality that is here rendered as an alluring, almost exotic ideal.

However, as the poem progresses, this idealized vision quickly dissolves. The speaker clarifies that the person in question is “less as you are,” immediately establishing a contrast between reality and fantasy. The actual appearance or essence of this person is “cat-like,” a “brush head,” which may suggest something softer, tamer, and more familiar. This person does not embody the wild or mysterious qualities associated with the goat’s gaze. The repetition of “sad, sad” underlines a melancholic recognition, perhaps of unmet expectations or unfulfilled potential. The speaker’s fantasy of the other person’s appearance and essence fails to align with the reality, leaving them with a sense of “disappointment.”

The final line, “un-goatlike,” encapsulates the speaker’s disillusionment. By explicitly stating what this person is not, Creeley suggests that the speaker has been holding onto an idealized or imaginary version of them, a projection that fails to match the truth. The “un-goatlike” description implies an absence of the primal, the unpredictable, or the intense that the speaker may have hoped for. Instead, they are left with something familiar and perhaps mundane, represented by the “cat-like” quality. This subtle critique of the other person’s lack of wildness or mystery reflects Creeley’s nuanced exploration of how expectations shape perception and can lead to feelings of dissatisfaction when reality falls short.

In “The Disappointment,” Creeley captures the complexities of human relationships and the longing for something ineffable, a yearning that often clashes with the reality of who people are. Through the poet’s restrained yet vivid imagery, the poem reflects on how our perceptions are shaped by unspoken desires, and how these desires can lead to a quiet, unresolved sense of disappointment when they are not met.

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