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Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | |||
In Robert Creeley’s poem “Thank You,” the poet offers a contemplative tribute to the virtue of kindness. The repeated invocation of "Kindness, Kindness" serves as both a celebration and a call to appreciate this quality, elevating it to almost divine status. By addressing kindness directly, Creeley personifies it, attributing to it a profound influence over human behavior and emotions. This personification suggests that kindness is not merely an attribute or a quality but an active, vital presence in the world that brings about transformation. The poem's structure is spare, reflecting the simplicity of the virtues it praises. Creeley’s choice of words like "pleasure," "radiance," and "satisfaction" invokes a sense of warmth and contentment. "Radiance of smiles" suggests the contagious and uplifting power of kindness, capable of brightening lives and fostering human connection. The phrase "redundant satisfaction" can be interpreted as an excess or an overflow of fulfillment—perhaps indicating that true kindness fills both the giver and the receiver, creating a self-sustaining loop of joy and contentment. By ending on "redundant satisfaction," Creeley hints at the idea that kindness is both simple and profound, providing not only pleasure but also a kind of quiet, enduring contentment that echoes and persists. In a few lines, “Thank You” captures kindness as an invaluable, self-perpetuating force in human life, capable of generating happiness and connection beyond words.
| Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...FOR THE SAKE OF STRANGERS by DORIANNE LAUX A CONSIDERABLE SPECK by ROBERT FROST BUT I DO NOT NEED KINDNESS by GREGORY NUNZIO CORSO HER DILEMMA; IN CHURCH by THOMAS HARDY GRECIAN KINDNESS: A SONG by JOHN WILMOT |
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