Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Robert Creeley’s poem "Apres Anders: Again" is a contemplative exploration of memory, time, and the feeling of dislocation that often accompanies these themes. With Creeley’s characteristic minimalism, the poem presents an encounter that seems both ordinary and deeply meaningful, invoking a sense of the transient nature of experience and the interplay between the physical and the internal worlds. The poem’s title, "Apres Anders: Again," suggests continuity with the earlier piece "Apres Anders," indicating that this may be a return to or further meditation on similar themes of perception and reflection.

The poem begins with the line, "The woman who / came out of the shadow / of the trees asked." The image of a woman emerging "out of the shadow / of the trees" evokes an ethereal quality, as if she has appeared from another realm, or perhaps from the speaker';s memory or imagination. The use of "shadow" emphasizes a sense of mystery or ambiguity, hinting at the liminal space between light and darkness, presence and absence. This shadowy entrance suggests that the woman, though real, carries an almost spectral quality, perhaps representing a figure from the past.

The woman’s question, "after a time ‘what time is it,’" brings the concept of time directly into the poem. Her question seems mundane, yet it resonates with deeper implications. The reference to "after a time" indicates a period of silence or waiting before the question is posed, adding a sense of uncertainty or anticipation. The question itself is significant—it highlights the speaker';s attention to the present moment, yet also draws attention to the slipperiness of time, how it is marked and experienced differently depending on context. The lack of punctuation, especially around the question, further blurs its clarity, making it feel almost rhetorical or existential.

The speaker then observes "her face / for a second," which emphasizes the fleeting nature of the encounter. The brief duration—"for a second"—suggests that the woman’s face appeared and disappeared quickly, much like a memory or a moment of recognition that fades before it can be fully comprehended. This transience is central to the poem’s exploration of time and memory; it evokes a feeling of something just out of reach, as if the speaker is trying to grasp a moment that has already passed.

The next line, "‘in my head was there again," signifies a return of the image of the woman’s face within the speaker';s mind. This repetition of "again" reinforces the cyclical nature of memory—how certain faces or moments reappear in our consciousness, often unexpectedly, and evoke emotions from the past. The face is not just a physical feature but becomes part of the speaker’s internal landscape, where it exists beyond the constraints of time. This blurring between internal and external experiences reveals the tension between what is real and what is remembered.

The poem continues, "and I felt again / as against this emptiness / where also I’d been." The phrase "I felt again" implies that the speaker is revisiting a familiar emotional state, something that the encounter with the woman has triggered. The word "again" here underscores the repetitive, almost haunting quality of the feeling, as if it is something that continues to return. The use of "as against this emptiness" suggests a contrast between the vividness of the memory and the void that surrounds the speaker’s present experience. The emptiness may symbolize a lack of fulfillment or a disconnection from the present moment, which is only momentarily interrupted by the memory of the woman.

The final phrase, "where also I’d been," reinforces the idea of the speaker’s presence in this emptiness, implying that the emptiness itself is a space the speaker is familiar with—a psychological state that has been revisited multiple times. This line captures a sense of alienation, as if the speaker has been suspended between the tangible present and the echoes of the past, unable to fully inhabit either. The repetition of "been" suggests a feeling of being stuck, as though the speaker is trapped in a recurring cycle of reliving moments that no longer exist in the physical world.

Throughout "Apres Anders: Again," Creeley employs sparse and fragmented language to evoke the elusive nature of memory and time. The poem’s structure, with its short, enjambed lines and lack of punctuation, mirrors the disjointed, almost fragmented way in which the mind processes memories and encounters. The fleeting presence of the woman, her mundane yet significant question, and the speaker’s internal reaction all contribute to a sense of dislocation—where the past intrudes upon the present and the boundaries between what is real and what is remembered blur.

Ultimately, "Apres Anders: Again" captures the profound impact of brief encounters and how they resonate within us long after the moment has passed. Creeley’s minimalist approach allows for a nuanced exploration of time, memory, and emotional dislocation. The poem’s open-endedness leaves the reader with a sense of unresolved tension—an acknowledgment that certain moments, certain faces, remain with us, existing in the shadows of our consciousness, resurfacing "again" and again, as we continue to navigate the emptiness of the present.

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