Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Robert Creeley';s poem "Flesh" presents a deeply personal and visceral meditation on the fleeting nature of life, the human body, and the unavoidable reality of loss. Through his characteristically minimalistic style, Creeley contemplates the passing of time, the disconnection from the physical world, and the deep yearning to hold on to the tangible elements of existence—particularly the body and the earth, which serve as symbols of life';s grounding force. The poem, marked by its disjointed syntax and fragmented imagery, evokes a sense of despair and inevitability, as the speaker grapples with the impermanence of the physical world and the people within it.

The opening line, "Awful rushes at times floating out in that emptiness," immediately sets the tone of the poem as one of uncertainty and alienation. The speaker describes a sensation of being unmoored, "floating" in a vast emptiness that provides no answers. The phrase "don';t answer nothing for no one" captures the futility of trying to make sense of this void. The use of double negatives adds to the confusion, mirroring the speaker';s inability to find clarity or meaning in their experience. The "rushes" of sensation or emotion come unpredictably, suggesting moments of intense awareness that quickly dissipate, leaving the speaker adrift in a world that feels devoid of substance or purpose.

This emptiness is contrasted sharply with the image of "Seeing dear flesh float by," an image that evokes both the fragility of the human body and the transience of life. The word "dear" imbues the flesh with a sense of tenderness and love, perhaps referencing a specific person, though the lack of specificity makes it applicable to the broader human condition. The flesh, once full of life, now floats by in an almost ghostly fashion, disconnected from the vitality it once embodied. The days are described as being "emptied of sun and wind," a stark contrast to the vibrancy that those natural elements typically represent. In this emptied world, the speaker seeks something to hold onto—something stable and grounding. "Hold on to trees and dirt" becomes a desperate plea for connection to the earth, to the tangible and real, as if the speaker is attempting to anchor themselves amidst the overwhelming sense of loss and emptiness.

The next lines—"Want it under me, body, want legs to keep working— / don';t think anymore of it"—express a deep desire for physical endurance. The speaker yearns for their body to continue functioning, for their legs to keep moving, as if the act of walking or standing is a way to maintain a connection to the material world. The body, in this sense, becomes both a symbol of life’s vitality and a reminder of its inevitable decline. There is a clear tension between the speaker’s desire for bodily continuity and the acknowledgment that this desire is ultimately futile. The command to "don';t think anymore of it" suggests an attempt to push away thoughts of mortality, to focus on the immediate physical experience rather than dwell on the inevitable decay of the body.

As the poem moves forward, the focus shifts to a specific memory: "Your face passes down the street— / your hair that was so lovely, your body, / won';t wait for me." These lines are deeply personal, as the speaker reflects on the image of a loved one—perhaps a former lover—who is no longer present. The repetition of "your" emphasizes the emotional intimacy between the speaker and this person, while the use of the past tense ("was so lovely") hints at their absence, whether through death, separation, or simply the passage of time. The face and hair, once familiar and beloved, are now seen as fleeting, as if passing down the street without acknowledgment. The body "won';t wait" for the speaker, a poignant reminder that time moves forward, that people and their physical forms continue to change or disappear, regardless of the speaker’s longing.

In "Flesh," Creeley grapples with the impermanence of the physical world and the body’s inevitable decay. The poem’s fragmented structure and sparse language mirror the disjointed thoughts and emotions of the speaker, who is caught between the desire to hold on to the material world and the recognition that it is slipping away. The body, both the speaker’s own and that of a loved one, is central to the poem’s exploration of loss and longing. It represents not only life’s fragility but also the grounding force of physical existence—something the speaker desperately wants to hold on to, even as it floats away.

The poem’s tension between the physical and the ephemeral is accentuated by Creeley’s use of stark, direct language. There is no embellishment here, no grand philosophical statements—just the raw, unfiltered experience of someone coming to terms with the fleeting nature of life and the human form. The repetition of physical imagery—flesh, body, legs, hair—serves to ground the poem in the material world, even as the speaker is confronted with its inevitable dissolution. The act of holding on to "trees and dirt" becomes symbolic of the speaker’s attempt to cling to something real, something that remains in a world increasingly filled with loss and absence.

In the final lines, the personal nature of the speaker’s reflection—"your face," "your hair"—adds a layer of intimacy and sorrow to the poem’s meditation on the body. The speaker’s recognition that this person "won’t wait for me" underscores the inevitability of time’s passage, the impossibility of holding on to anything—whether it be a loved one, a memory, or life itself. The poem, in its quiet, understated way, captures the profound sadness of this realization, while also acknowledging the human desire to resist it, to keep moving forward, to keep the body working, even as everything else slips away.

Ultimately, "Flesh" is a poignant exploration of mortality and the fleeting nature of physical existence. Creeley’s minimalist style allows him to distill complex emotions into simple, powerful images, creating a poem that resonates with both personal loss and universal themes of impermanence. The body, with all its fragility and beauty, becomes a central figure in the speaker’s attempt to make sense of a world that offers no answers—only the slow, inevitable passage of time.

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