Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Robert Creeley’s poem "For J.D.: 2" is an intimate and meditative piece that addresses themes of love, loss, transcendence, and the persistence of memory. The poem is a continuation of "For J.D.," and while it retains the reflective tone of the first poem, it also introduces a deeper sense of farewell and spiritual reflection. Through its brief yet evocative imagery, the poem creates a sense of movement and transition, as the speaker contemplates the journey of a loved one beyond this life, while also holding onto the enduring presence of their spirit.

The opening lines, "Pass on by, love, / wait by that garden gate," establish a tone of gentle parting. The speaker seems to be addressing a departed loved one, urging them to "pass on by" while also asking them to pause and wait by the "garden gate." The garden gate here symbolizes a threshold, a boundary between the earthly and the spiritual, between life and death. Gardens are often associated with life, growth, and beauty, and the gate suggests a place of passage into another realm. The speaker’s use of "love" in addressing the person adds tenderness and intimacy to this moment of separation. The command to "wait" by the gate suggests that even in the act of passing on, there is a desire for connection, as if the speaker hopes for some lingering presence, a moment before the loved one fully moves into another space.

The next line, "Swing on, up / on heaven’s gate," continues the theme of transition, but this time with an image of upward movement. The loved one is urged to "swing on" up to heaven’s gate, an image that evokes both playfulness and transcendence. The word "swing" suggests ease and freedom, as if the journey to heaven is not one of struggle but of lightness. The image of heaven’s gate is a common symbol of entry into the afterlife, a place of peace and eternal rest. The upward movement toward heaven contrasts with the earlier image of waiting by the garden gate, suggesting a progression from the earthly realm to a more divine or eternal space. This movement signals a sense of acceptance and release, as the speaker acknowledges the loved one’s journey beyond this world.

In the following lines, "The confounding, confronted / pictures of world / brought to signs / of its insistent self," Creeley introduces a shift in focus, moving from the personal to the universal. The "confounding, confronted pictures of world" evoke the complexity and chaos of life, the overwhelming nature of existence. The word "confounding" suggests that the world is difficult to understand or make sense of, while "confronted" implies that these challenges have been faced head-on. These "pictures" are then "brought to signs of its insistent self," suggesting that, despite the confusion and difficulty of life, there are underlying truths or patterns that persist. The world continues to insist on its presence and meaning, even when it is challenging or confounding. This can be read as a reflection on how life, with all its complexities, ultimately leads to certain truths or realities that we must come to terms with.

The next lines, "are here in all colors, sizes— / a heart as big as all outdoors," bring the focus back to the personal, echoing the earlier phrase from "For J.D." about the loved one’s heart being "as big as all outdoors." This metaphor emphasizes the expansiveness of the person’s spirit, their capacity for love, and their connection to the natural world. The mention of "all colors, sizes" suggests diversity, inclusivity, and the multifaceted nature of life, as well as the person being remembered. The heart, so large and encompassing, reflects the way the loved one touched the world and those around them, leaving a legacy of warmth and openness.

The phrase "a weather of spaces, / intervals between silences" closes the poem with an image that captures the intangible nature of existence, memory, and time. "A weather of spaces" suggests that life and memory are not solid or fixed, but fluid, like weather, constantly shifting and changing. The use of "spaces" emphasizes the idea that much of life and experience exists in the gaps—between moments, between memories, between words. This is further reinforced by "intervals between silences," a phrase that evokes the pauses in life, the moments of quiet reflection that punctuate our existence. These intervals are where meaning is often found, in the spaces where nothing is said but much is felt. The mention of silences adds a layer of contemplation, as if the speaker is considering not just the presence of the loved one but also their absence, and how that absence shapes the speaker’s understanding of life and death.

"For J.D.: 2" is a continuation of Creeley’s exploration of love, loss, and memory, framed by the journey of a loved one passing into another realm. The poem delicately balances the personal and the universal, weaving together images of gates, hearts, and weather to create a meditation on the nature of existence and the enduring presence of those we care about, even after they have gone. The poem’s closing lines, with their emphasis on spaces and silences, suggest that while the loved one has moved on, their spirit continues to exist in the quiet moments of life, in the spaces between words and memories, always present even in absence.

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