Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

The opening line, "It is cold, bitter as a penny," immediately establishes the harshness of the setting and the introspective mood. The bitterness not only reflects the physical environment but also hints at the emotional terrain the speaker will navigate. The train serves as both a literal and metaphorical vehicle, carrying the speaker toward a cemetery and, symbolically, toward contemplation of life, death, and the remnants of memory.

The imagery throughout the poem is striking in its bleakness. The "icy coal" and "old snow" convey a sense of desolation, while the "barbed fences throat-deep in white" evoke an oppressive stillness. The train itself, with its "cargo of icy coal" and the conductor "with his loose buttons like heads of crucified saints," becomes a haunting symbol of inevitability, carrying its passengers toward an uncertain but unchangeable future. The "mad puncher biting zeros through tickets" suggests the erasure of individuality and the dehumanizing march of time.

Soto juxtaposes this stark landscape with glimpses of other places the speaker has loved or imagined. Paris, Athens, and England become touchstones for longing and beauty, contrasted sharply with the speaker?s stark reality. The declarations of affection for these cities—"Long Live Paris!" and "The great book is still in her lap"—reflect a yearning for a world of art, culture, and connection, a world seemingly inaccessible within the speaker’s own cold and silent country.

The speaker?s alienation is palpable in lines like, "I have nothing good to say," and "This is my country." The repeated acknowledgment of the speaker?s homeland—described with bleak, mechanistic imagery such as "Fence posts that are the people, spotted cows the machinery that feed Officials"—underscores a sense of resignation and detachment. The speaker?s love for foreign cities and their symbolic associations with vitality and beauty only deepens the sense of disconnection from his immediate environment.

As the poem progresses, the focus shifts inward. The speaker admits to constructing imaginary women in his mind, a poignant acknowledgment of isolation and the need for escape. These internal creations—"Nostalgia that?s the cigarette lighter from before the war, Beauty that?s tears that flow inward to feed its roots"—are both a comfort and a reminder of loss, hinting at a life lived in the shadow of memory and longing.

The train becomes a central metaphor in the poem?s final stanzas. Described as carrying "red coal of evil," it symbolizes the inexorable passage of time and the shared journey of humanity toward oblivion. The speaker’s question, "Who will know us when we breathe through the grass?" encapsulates the poem?s central concern: the fear of being forgotten, of dissolving into the natural world without leaving a lasting trace. The grass, a recurring image of regeneration and anonymity, represents both continuity and the erasure of individual identity.

The poem?s form—free verse with uneven line lengths—mirrors the wandering, introspective nature of the speaker?s thoughts. Soto’s language, while grounded in concrete imagery, is imbued with a lyrical quality that elevates the mundane into the poetic. The juxtaposition of stark realism with fleeting moments of beauty and longing creates a dynamic tension that propels the reader through the poem.

“Who Will Know Us” is a meditation on the human condition, exploring themes of displacement, mortality, and the desire for connection in an indifferent world. Through its evocative imagery and introspective tone, the poem captures the universal struggle to find meaning and permanence in the face of inevitable loss. Soto invites the reader to reflect on their own place in the world, their legacy, and the fragile beauty of existence.

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