Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Silence," Robert Creeley reflects on the paradox of silence, particularly as it relates to memory and the sensory tapestry of childhood. Through a series of detailed, layered images, he explores how silence is not merely an absence of sound, but an interplay of quiet moments, background murmurs, and nature’s ambient noise that subtly shape the experience of growing up. Creeley’s meditation reveals how certain sounds—often mundane or barely perceptible—linger in memory, ultimately merging with silence in a way that captures the fleeting, yet profoundly impactful moments of one’s life. The poem’s language is understated and nostalgic, inviting readers to consider the complex and delicate nature of silence in relation to memory, family, and the passage of time.

The poem begins with an admission: “I can’t speak so / simply of whatever / was then / the fashion / of silence / everyone’s.” Creeley’s inability to “speak simply” about silence suggests that it is a multifaceted experience, one that resists easy description. The phrase “the fashion of silence” hints at a cultural or familial expectation around quietness, as though silence itself had a style or was an accepted, perhaps expected, behavior. By describing silence as “everyone’s,” he emphasizes that this quietness was not his alone; it belonged to everyone around him, creating a collective experience of restraint or contemplative space. This collective silence may signify an unspoken understanding within his family or community, a shared value that shaped his early environment.

“Blue / expansive morning” introduces a visual element that contrasts with silence. The word “expansive” suggests openness and freedom, while “blue” evokes tranquility and depth, mirroring the contemplative tone of the poem. This expansive blue morning creates a peaceful setting, a backdrop for the silence that he describes. However, this silence is not empty; it is filled with “the teeming chatter / of innumerable birds” in a lilac bush beneath the farmhouse window. The contrast between “teeming chatter” and the stillness of morning reinforces the idea that silence in nature is never truly silent—it is a composite of soft, background noises that blend into a calming whole. The “innumerable birds” represent life’s persistent energy, even in a scene characterized by calmness, adding to the complexity of what silence means in this context.

Creeley’s memory shifts to his own experience lying quietly, “trying / to go to sleep late / evenings in summer.” Here, the setting moves from morning to evening, from light to twilight, bringing a sense of time passing. His attempts to sleep are accompanied by the “buzzes settling” and “twitters / of birds,” sounds that, while faint and unintrusive, fill the background. This moment captures the gentleness of summer nights, the way nature’s subtle sounds blend into a rhythmic lull that is soothing yet persistent. The birds’ noises are not disruptive but rather part of a comforting, consistent background that Creeley associates with the sensation of drifting into sleep.

The presence of family, described as “relatives / in rooms underneath / me murmuring,” adds another layer to the idea of silence. The relatives’ conversations are muffled, their voices reduced to “faint edges of sounds.” These sounds are soft, almost like whispers, but their presence emphasizes a sense of security and closeness. The speaker’s attempt to “listen hard to catch” these fragments of conversation indicates a childhood curiosity, a desire to understand or connect with the adults around him. However, he only perceives the “edges” of their words, underscoring the distance between child and adult, between understanding and mystery. The relatives’ voices become part of the ambiance, blending with the silence in a way that enhances the atmosphere rather than disturbing it.

The closing lines—“through blurs of a fading / spectrum now out / there forever”—capture the ephemeral nature of these memories. The “fading spectrum” suggests that these sensory experiences, like light and color, have gradually dimmed over time. The spectrum, a range of sensations and emotions, is now beyond reach, existing only in memory. “Out there forever” implies a kind of permanence, yet also a separation; these moments are eternal in his memory, but they are unreachable, like a distant star or a scene remembered from a dream. This final line poignantly captures the bittersweet nature of nostalgia, where the recollection of sound and silence becomes both comforting and inaccessible.

In "Silence," Creeley uses minimalistic language to evoke the layered complexity of quiet moments in childhood. The poem captures how silence is not truly silent but filled with subtle sounds—nature’s buzzes, family murmurs, the soft edges of sound that define intimate spaces and create a comforting presence. The speaker’s attempt to capture these memories, to give shape to the “fashion of silence,” reflects the challenge of holding onto fleeting moments that were meaningful yet understated. Ultimately, "Silence" becomes a meditation on memory, where fragments of sound and silence intertwine to create a sense of place and time that endures, even as it fades into the “fading spectrum” of the past. Through his reflective tone and careful attention to detail, Creeley reveals how silence, in all its nuances, shapes one’s understanding of home, family, and the passage of time.

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