Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Robert Creeley’s poem "Apres Anders: Den Alten" presents a fragmented, evocative exploration of memory, loss, and the weight of family history. Creeley’s distinct minimalist style and use of multilingual elements create a poem that oscillates between languages, perspectives, and sensory impressions, embodying the complexities of memory and the raw emotions that accompany reflections on the past.

The title, "Apres Anders: Den Alten," evokes a sense of homage or a continuation of a previous theme, as seen in the "Apres Anders" series, while "Den Alten" in German can be translated as "the old" or "the elder." This reference to the "old" hints at generational ties and connections with the past. The poem centers around "old Uncle Emil," a figure shrouded in memory and portrayed with a mixture of affection and unease.

The opening lines—"Then to old Uncle Emil / den du immer mimst"—immediately set up a tone of direct address, as if the speaker is reflecting on an interaction with this uncle. The German phrase "den du immer mimst" translates to "whom you always mimic," suggesting that the speaker or someone else used to imitate or act like Uncle Emil. This act of mimicry implies familiarity, perhaps even an attempt to embody or understand the elder’s character, highlighting the profound impact this figure has had on the speaker.

The phrase "you always / missed, / missed most" shifts the focus to a sense of loss and longing. The repetition of "missed" emphasizes the depth of the emotional connection with Uncle Emil, underscoring that he was a figure whose absence was acutely felt. There is a poignant juxtaposition here between the act of mimicry—implying a playful or even light-hearted engagement—and the subsequent admission of profound loss, suggesting the tension between the ways we remember and honor those who have shaped us.

The next lines—"häng einem alten Haus / 262 MEMORY GARDENS"—create an evocative image that juxtaposes the old and the new, the abstract and the concrete. The German phrase "häng einem alten Haus" can be interpreted as "hang an old house," suggesting a dilapidated structure or a legacy that is precariously maintained. The mention of "262 MEMORY GARDENS" adds a sense of specificity, yet its meaning remains ambiguous. It could be a reference to a burial place, a memorial site, or even a mental repository where memories are stored. The imagery evokes a feeling of nostalgia mixed with a sense of decay and remembrance.

"In fear, hung / from a rafter, a / beam old / Uncle Emil you / immer mimst" introduces a dark, unsettling image. The words "in fear, hung / from a rafter" suggest something ominous, possibly indicating a tragic event involving Uncle Emil. The fear associated with being "hung from a rafter" evokes both a literal and metaphorical sense of suspension and vulnerability, as if Uncle Emil’s legacy is trapped in a moment of anguish. The repetition of "immer mimst" ties back to the earlier reference of mimicry, but in this context, it takes on a more haunting tone—perhaps the speaker’s attempt to replicate or understand Uncle Emil also means inheriting his fears and burdens.

The phrase "over the logical river / Fluss in the / truly really" suggests a journey or a boundary—rivers often symbolize transitions, changes, or the passage between different states. The word "logical" juxtaposed with "river" creates a sense of dissonance; rivers are natural, often meandering, whereas logic is structured and ordered. This tension reflects the complexity of navigating memories and emotions, as if attempting to make sense of something inherently fluid and chaotic. The German word "Fluss" (river) emphasizes the continuity of this metaphor and connects back to the multilingual nature of the poem, reflecting the fractured nature of the speaker';s memories.

The concluding lines—"feuchten clay, fucked finished clay"—are powerful in their visceral imagery. "Feuchten" means "moist" or "damp" in German, describing the clay as something malleable yet weighed down by moisture. The phrase "fucked finished clay" brings a raw, blunt finality to the poem, as if describing something irrevocably damaged or exhausted. Clay, often associated with creation and the earth, becomes here a symbol of both origin and demise—something that is shaped and reshaped, yet ultimately returns to a state of dissolution. The use of explicit language underscores the intensity of the emotion, a kind of resignation or acceptance of the inevitable end, whether it pertains to Uncle Emil’s life or the burden of memory.

"Apres Anders: Den Alten" is a poem that grapples with the complexities of family legacy, memory, and the emotional weight of those who came before. Creeley’s use of both English and German serves to heighten the fragmented nature of the poem, mirroring the disjointed and sometimes incoherent process of remembering. The juxtaposition of vivid, specific imagery—such as "262 MEMORY GARDENS" and "hung from a rafter"—with more abstract emotional reflections conveys a sense of unease, as if the speaker is struggling to reconcile the different facets of Uncle Emil’s presence in their life.

The poem’s fragmented structure, its interplay of languages, and the raw, evocative imagery all contribute to a sense of disorientation and unresolved tension. Uncle Emil becomes both a figure of mimicry and profound loss, a symbol of a past that is at once intimately familiar and painfully elusive. In the end, the poem leaves the reader with a sense of the unfinished—of memories that cannot be neatly contained or fully understood, but instead linger, suspended like "feuchten clay" in a landscape of shifting emotional terrain.

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