Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Something," Robert Creeley captures a deeply personal and intimate moment, exploring vulnerability, love, and the subtle beauty found in the everyday. The poem moves from a reflective internal monologue to a specific memory, detailing a tender, raw scene between two people. Through straightforward language and unfiltered imagery, Creeley reveals the complexities of intimacy and the lessons about love that arise from small, seemingly mundane actions.

The poem begins with the line, “I approach with such / a careful tremor,” immediately conveying a sense of vulnerability and sensitivity. This “careful tremor” suggests both hesitation and reverence, as if the speaker is treading lightly on delicate ground. The phrase “finally foolish” captures the self-consciousness that often accompanies introspection about love and relationships. The speaker seems to be questioning how love should be felt and experienced, acknowledging the inherent uncertainty and self-doubt that can accompany deeply personal emotions.

The speaker’s recollection of “once in a rented room on / 27th street” provides a specific setting, grounding the poem in a tangible memory. This detail not only situates the scene but also conveys a sense of transience and temporality. The rented room suggests a moment outside of everyday life, a temporary space where the speaker and his lover shared an experience that left a lasting impression. This setting allows Creeley to highlight the fleeting nature of moments and how they linger in memory, shaping our understanding of intimacy.

In the lines describing the woman “sitting across from / a basin with two faucets,” Creeley introduces an image of physical vulnerability. The woman, having just shared an intimate experience, now faces a moment of personal discomfort. She “had to pee but was nervous, / embarrassed I suppose,” exposing her hesitation and her self-consciousness about being watched in a private act. This scenario reflects the complexities of intimacy—how, even after sharing the most vulnerable moments, there remain small barriers of modesty and self-awareness. Creeley reveals the nuances of relationships, where total openness is challenged by moments of personal privacy and shyness.

The woman’s reflection in the mirror—“her / head reflected in the mirror, / the hair dark there, the / full of her face, the shoulders”—offers a moment of quiet observation. The speaker notices her physical details with a kind of reverence, paying attention to her form and presence. This reflection acts as a metaphor for the act of reflection itself, as the speaker contemplates the significance of this moment. In describing her in this way, Creeley captures the tenderness of observing a lover in their unguarded state, recognizing both their physicality and their humanity.

The final lines, “sat spread-legged, turned on / one faucet and shyly pissed,” present the culmination of this intimate scene with unembellished honesty. The woman’s act, though simple and bodily, becomes a profound moment for the speaker, highlighting the often-overlooked beauty in vulnerability. By describing this scene without euphemism, Creeley emphasizes the rawness of true intimacy, suggesting that love is not only found in grand gestures but also in the willingness to share one’s most private self with another.

The closing line, “What love might learn from such a sight,” encapsulates the poem’s central meditation. This line implies that love is a process of learning and observation, gained through experiencing these intimate, everyday moments. The speaker recognizes that love encompasses the ability to accept and appreciate another person in their entirety, including their most vulnerable, human moments. Creeley suggests that true intimacy involves seeing and accepting each other’s imperfections, learning from the honesty of these shared experiences.

In "Something," Robert Creeley captures a moment of tender observation, exploring the complexities of intimacy and the lessons of love that arise from vulnerability. Through his detailed, unfiltered description, Creeley reveals the beauty in ordinary moments, showing that love often resides in the willingness to witness and accept the other person fully. This poem resonates as a quiet celebration of human connection, emphasizing that love’s depth is found in the small, unguarded instances that reveal our shared humanity.

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