Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Marge Piercy’s "The Listmaker" is a poignant exploration of the human tendency to organize and manage life through lists. Piercy delves into the psychology behind this practice, revealing deeper themes of memory, control, and the passage of time. The poem’s structure, with its detailed cataloging of tasks, mirrors the very act of list-making, providing an intimate look at the poet’s inner life and broader existential concerns.

The poem begins with the straightforward declaration of identity: "I am a compiler of lists." This opening line establishes the speaker’s compulsion to organize and control their environment through detailed enumeration. The first list presented includes practical items: "1 bag / fine cracked corn, 1 sunflower seeds." This mundane catalog of gardening supplies introduces the reader to the everyday nature of the lists and sets the tone for the exploration that follows.

Piercy then moves to more personal tasks: "Thin tomato seedlings in hotbed; / check dahlias for sprouting. / Write Kathy. Call Lou. Pay / oil bill. Decide about Montana." The inclusion of personal reminders interspersed with practical gardening tasks highlights the speaker’s attempt to manage both the trivial and significant aspects of life through lists. The mention of deciding about Montana introduces a more abstract task, suggesting that lists are also a way to grapple with larger, more complex decisions.

The poem reflects on the ephemeral nature of these lists: "I find withered lists in pockets / of raincoats, reminders to buy birthday / presents for lovers who wear those warm / sweaters now in other lives." The image of withered lists in raincoat pockets evokes a sense of nostalgia and the passage of time. The lists are not just organizational tools but also artifacts of past relationships and forgotten intentions, highlighting the transient nature of human connections and memories.

Piercy’s introspection deepens as she questions the significance of her lists: "And what / did I decide about Montana? To believe / or disbelieve in its existence?" This rhetorical question underscores the ambiguity and uncertainty that often accompanies decision-making. The lists become a way to grapple with these uncertainties, even as they sometimes fail to provide clear answers.

The poet confesses to the small pleasure derived from completing tasks: "I confess too that sometimes when I am listing / what I must do on a Monday, I will put on / tasks already completed for the neat pleasure / of striking them out, checking them off." This admission reveals a universal human satisfaction in achieving small, manageable goals, even if they are artificially constructed.

Piercy probes further into the meaning behind her list-making: "What do these lists mean? That I mistrust my memory, / that my attention, a huge hungry crow / settling to carrion even on the highway / hates to rise and flap off, wants to continue / feasting on what it has let down upon / folding the tent of its broad dusty wings." This metaphor of attention as a crow reflects the speaker’s struggle with focus and the need to anchor her thoughts and actions. The lists become a way to maintain control over a wandering mind and a chaotic world.

The poem concludes with a reflection on the ultimate purpose of lists: "That I like to conquer chaos one square / at a time like a board game. / That I fear the sins of omission more / than commission." Here, Piercy captures the essence of list-making as a strategy to impose order on chaos and a method to ensure nothing important is overlooked. The fear of omission—of failing to remember or act—drives the speaker to document every detail.

The final lines return to the inevitability of time’s passage: "That the whining saw / of the mill of time shrieks always in my ears / as I am borne with all the other logs / forward to be dismantled and rebuilt / into chairs, into frogs, into running water." This imagery of time as a relentless force underscores the futility of trying to control every aspect of life. The lists, while helpful, cannot stop the inexorable march of time.

Piercy concludes with a profound observation: "All lists start where they halt, in intention. / Only the love that is work completes them." This closing reflection ties the act of list-making to intention and effort, suggesting that it is through love and dedication that tasks are truly accomplished. The lists are merely the starting point; it is the commitment to action that brings them to fruition.

"The Listmaker" is a rich and introspective poem that uses the simple act of list-making to explore deeper themes of memory, control, and the passage of time. Through vivid imagery and thoughtful reflection, Marge Piercy offers a poignant meditation on the human desire to organize and make sense of life’s complexities.

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