Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Robert Creeley’s poem “One Way” captures a tense, intimate moment between two individuals, drawing readers into an atmosphere heavy with the weight of unresolved emotions and silent gestures. The scene is set with a minimalist approach, both in language and description, as Creeley builds a setting defined as much by absence as by presence. Through his sparse and fragmented imagery, the poem explores themes of separation, self-reflection, and the difficulty of true understanding within relationships. In Creeley’s hands, the domestic space becomes a stage for psychological complexity, where silence and stillness carry as much weight as any spoken word.

The poem begins with the cryptic line, “Of the two, one faces one,” introducing the image of two people, possibly a man and a woman, locked in a moment of confrontation or reflection. This phrasing creates an ambiguity around whether they are facing each other directly or metaphorically, suggesting both a physical and emotional closeness, yet with a sense of distance or disconnection. The simplicity of this line evokes a quiet tension, as if each individual is present yet isolated within their own mental or emotional sphere. The phrase “one faces one” also conveys a sense of symmetry and opposition, a pairing that hints at underlying conflict or misalignment.

The following lines—“In the air there is / no tremor, no odor”—set a stark, almost clinical atmosphere. This lack of sensory detail suggests an absence of vitality, as though the room is suspended in a kind of emotional stasis. “No tremor, no odor” implies that this moment is beyond the physical realm; it exists purely within a psychological space where the typical markers of life, like movement or scent, are conspicuously absent. Creeley’s use of negative description heightens the sense of estrangement, establishing an atmosphere that feels emotionally frozen. The room described as “around them, of wood, of walls” reinforces the idea of containment, suggesting that they are not just physically enclosed but also symbolically trapped within their own psychological boundaries.

“The mark is silence. / Everything hangs.” These lines underscore the stillness and weight of the moment. Silence here is not merely the absence of sound but an active, almost oppressive presence. The word “mark” implies a definitive boundary or indicator, as if silence itself has drawn a line that neither can cross. “Everything hangs” captures the sense of suspended tension, an unresolved pause that fills the room and deepens the sense of detachment. This silence becomes the only communication between them, an unspoken statement that carries all the weight of their unexpressed emotions and unaddressed issues.

Creeley introduces a powerful gesture: “As he raises his hand to not strike her, as / again his hand is raised.” This repeated action conveys the turmoil within the man, a struggle between anger or frustration and restraint. The gesture of “raising his hand” is filled with implication, suggesting the impulse toward violence, even if it is restrained. By focusing on the action without detailing any emotions or motivations behind it, Creeley leaves the moment open to interpretation, forcing readers to confront the complexity and ambiguity of human impulses. This restrained gesture serves as a symbolic act of tension, where the choice not to act becomes as significant as action itself. The repetition—“as / again his hand is raised”—reinforces this inner conflict, hinting at a cycle of control, anger, and suppression.

The woman’s response is to “go into another room,” a movement that emphasizes her withdrawal and separation. Her physical departure from the room becomes a statement, as she chooses to distance herself from the charged interaction. This shift underscores her autonomy and her choice to disengage rather than confront or escalate. However, her absence leaves a void: “In the room left by her, he cannot see himself / as in a mirror, as / a feeling of reflection.” Her departure creates a space in which the man is left alone with himself, and yet he is unable to “see himself,” either literally or metaphorically. This inability to see himself in her absence suggests a profound alienation or a loss of self-understanding that her presence once provided. The phrase “a feeling of reflection” implies that her absence distorts his sense of self, revealing a dependency on her for his own self-awareness.

The line “He thinks he thinks, of something else” points to a dissociation, as though he is attempting to distract himself or detach from the situation but finds himself unable to escape the present reality. This repetition—“thinks he thinks”—highlights the fragility of his inner world and his inability to fully engage with or escape his own emotions. It’s a looping, self-reflective statement, reinforcing the idea that he is caught in a cycle of thought without clarity or resolution. This line illustrates Creeley’s skill in portraying the nuances of consciousness, capturing the man’s disoriented and fragmented mental state.

In the final lines, Creeley introduces an image of physical space that reflects the inner disarray: “This time not changed, but the way of feeling secured by walls and books, a picture hanging down, a center shifted.” The setting becomes a symbolic reflection of the man’s emotional state. “Walls and books” suggest the familiar, stable aspects of life, yet everything within this space appears out of place, “a center shifted.” The house, once a place of order, now mirrors his internal turmoil, with dust covering “all he puts his hand on.” This dust, along with “disorder, papers and letters / and accumulations of clothing, and bedclothes,” symbolizes neglect and decay, evoking a sense of time passing without change or renewal. These details suggest that the relationship, and perhaps the man’s sense of self, has become stagnant and worn, weighed down by the accumulation of unresolved emotions and unexpressed thoughts.

The final image—“under his feet the rug bunches”—adds a sense of instability and discomfort, as though even the ground beneath him is uneven. This rug, a domestic object that should offer comfort, instead contributes to his unease, symbolizing the unresolved tensions that pervade the poem. It is a subtle yet effective detail that reinforces the overarching theme of imbalance and disconnection.

In “One Way,” Creeley crafts a powerful portrayal of a relationship marked by silence, withdrawal, and unspoken conflict. Through minimalistic language and fragmented imagery, he captures the complexity of human interactions and the ways in which emotional distance can permeate physical space. The poem reflects on the isolation that can exist even within close relationships, where words fail, gestures become charged with meaning, and silence is both a barrier and a bridge. Ultimately, “One Way” explores the difficulty of self-understanding and connection, as well as the ways in which the domestic space becomes a mirror for inner turmoil and unresolved tensions.

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