Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Linda Pastan's poem "Subway" is a haunting exploration of memory, childhood, and the ways in which the past continues to resonate in the present. The poem uses the metaphor of a subway journey to delve into the speaker's inner world, where the rhythmic naming of subway stops becomes a means of navigating the emotional terrain of the past. Through the imagery of the subway and the evocation of familial relationships, Pastan captures the complex interplay between memory, time, and the unspoken tensions that linger in the speaker's mind.

The poem opens with a quiet, almost meditative statement: "Sometimes at night / I put myself to sleep with the names of subway stops / between 125th and Fordham Road." This line introduces the idea of using the subway stops as a kind of lullaby, a rhythmic recitation that helps the speaker drift into sleep. The specific mention of the stops between 125th and Fordham Road situates the poem in a particular geographic and cultural context, likely New York City, and evokes the familiarity and routine of daily life. The naming of the stops—"134th ... 145th ... Ibist..."—becomes a mantra, a way of anchoring the speaker's thoughts and providing a sense of order in the darkness of night.

As the poem progresses, the subway journey is described as moving backward: "The tunnel unwinds backwards / under ruined streets towards a room where my mother sits." This backward movement suggests a journey into the past, into the depths of memory where the speaker confronts the emotional landscape of childhood. The phrase "ruined streets" hints at decay and neglect, possibly alluding to the speaker's feelings about the past or the passage of time. The image of the mother sitting in a room, mediating "between my need and my father's silence," introduces the central emotional conflict of the poem. The mother is portrayed as a mediator, attempting to bridge the gap between the speaker's desires and the father's uncommunicative presence. This dynamic suggests a childhood marked by unfulfilled needs and a sense of isolation.

The line "Childhood is cold comfort" encapsulates the speaker's ambivalence toward the past. While childhood is often idealized as a time of warmth and security, here it is described as offering "cold comfort," implying that the speaker's memories are tinged with disappointment and a lack of emotional fulfillment. The subway, with its "roar and shakes," becomes a powerful metaphor for "memory's beast," a force that is both uncontrollable and unsettling, carrying the speaker along its "slippery tracks" toward a past that is both familiar and haunting.

The poem's rhythmic naming of subway stops continues: "167th ... 174th ..." These numbers serve as both literal markers of place and symbolic markers of time, with each stop representing a step further into memory. The speaker clings "to the loop of numbers / as if I had an appointment to keep," suggesting a compulsive need to revisit these memories, as if there is something unresolved that requires attention. The idea of an "appointment" implies a sense of duty or obligation, as if the speaker feels compelled to return to these moments despite the discomfort they bring.

The poem concludes with a poignant reflection on the finality of loss: "as if my mother and father were not somewhere else underground, already asleep." This line brings the reader back to the present, acknowledging the reality that the speaker's parents are no longer alive, resting "underground" in death. The subway journey, which began as a way to soothe the speaker to sleep, now also represents the journey toward accepting the permanent absence of the parents. The idea that they are "already asleep" contrasts with the speaker's restless recitation of subway stops, highlighting the distance between the living and the dead, and the unresolved emotions that linger in the speaker's mind.

"Subway" is a deeply evocative poem that uses the metaphor of a subway journey to explore the complexities of memory, childhood, and loss. Pastan's use of specific, rhythmic imagery creates a sense of movement and progression, even as the speaker is drawn backward into the past. The poem captures the tension between the desire for comfort and the inevitable confrontation with the unresolved aspects of one's history, making it a powerful meditation on the enduring impact of family dynamics and the passage of time.

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