Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Linda Pastan's poem "Counting Backwards" offers a contemplative and poignant reflection on aging, memory, and the inevitable passage of time. Through the lens of a birthday, the speaker grapples with the disorienting realization of growing older, exploring the way time seems to accelerate as one ages, and how the past and present intertwine in the process.

The poem opens with the speaker’s candid question: "How did I get so old, / I wonder," as they reflect on their 67th birthday. This initial uncertainty about age is further complicated by the playful intrusion of "Dyslexia," which "smiles" and reverses the numbers, revealing that the speaker is actually 76. This moment captures the disorienting nature of aging, where numbers may blur and time becomes a fluid concept. The reversal of numbers hints at the larger theme of the poem—how the experience of time can feel distorted as we age, with the future sometimes seeming closer to the past.

The speaker then muses on cultural differences in how age is perceived and counted: "There are places / where at 60 they start / counting backwards; / in Japan / they start again / from one." These lines introduce the idea that age and time are culturally constructed and that different societies have different ways of understanding and measuring the progression of life. By referencing these alternative approaches to aging, Pastan subtly questions the linearity of time and the inevitability of its forward march.

However, the speaker quickly dismisses the importance of numbers: "But the numbers / hardly matter." Instead, what truly concerns the speaker is "the physics / of acceleration," the sense that time seems to move faster as one grows older. This acceleration, the speaker suggests, is troubling not because of the aging itself, but because of the relentless approach of the "destination." The metaphor of acceleration captures the way that life seems to speed up with age, as if the years rush by more quickly with each passing birthday.

The poem reaches a powerful conclusion as the speaker catches a glimpse of the "destination"—a moment of profound realization where time folds back on itself: "where look! / I see my mother / and father bearing a cake, / waiting for me / at the starting line." This image blurs the boundaries between the past and the future, with the speaker envisioning their deceased parents at the starting line, a place usually associated with beginnings rather than endings. The parents, bearing a cake, suggest a celebration, perhaps of life itself, but their presence at the starting line also evokes the cyclical nature of time—where beginnings and endings are deeply intertwined.

"Counting Backwards" is a meditation on the passage of time and the complex emotions that accompany the aging process. Linda Pastan's use of imagery, cultural references, and the physics of acceleration highlights the disorienting experience of aging, where the past feels increasingly present, and the future seems to approach with unsettling speed. The final image of the speaker’s parents at the starting line serves as a poignant reminder that life, with all its milestones, is a continuous journey, where the lines between past, present, and future often blur. Through this exploration, the poem invites readers to reflect on their own experiences of time and the ways in which we navigate the inevitable journey of life.

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