Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Robert Creeley';s poem "Door; For Robert Duncan" is a deeply introspective exploration of longing, transformation, and the struggle for connection. Dedicated to fellow poet Robert Duncan, the poem employs the recurring motif of a door to symbolize both barriers and opportunities for entry into a deeper understanding of the self, relationships, and the metaphysical realm. Through rich imagery, fragmented emotions, and a fluctuating sense of direction, Creeley captures the inherent tension between desire and reality, as well as the complexities of the human condition.

The poem opens with the line "It is hard going to the door / cut so small in the wall where / the vision which echoes loneliness / brings a scent of wild flowers in a wood." This opening establishes the door as both a physical and metaphorical boundary. The "door cut so small in the wall" suggests a narrow and difficult passageway, indicating that entry requires effort and perhaps discomfort. The "vision which echoes loneliness" speaks to an internal longing—something intangible that both compels the speaker and emphasizes their isolation. The "scent of wild flowers in a wood" evokes a sense of freedom and natural beauty, suggesting that beyond the door lies a world of possibilities and a reprieve from the speaker';s current state of confinement.

"What I understood, I understand. / My mind is sometime torment, / sometimes good and filled with livelihood, / and feels the ground." These lines reveal the oscillating nature of the speaker';s mental state. The repetition of "understood" and "understand" emphasizes the continuity of experience—the speaker';s understanding has not evolved but remains constant, reinforcing a sense of being stuck. The "mind is sometime torment, / sometimes good" captures the duality of human experience, where moments of insight and clarity alternate with confusion and suffering. The phrase "feels the ground" suggests a desire for stability, for something tangible to anchor the self amidst these fluctuating emotions.

"But I see the door, / and knew the wall, and wanted the wood, / and would get there if I could / with my feet and hands and mind." This passage underscores the speaker';s determination to reach the door and enter the woods—a place that symbolizes freedom, possibility, and perhaps a deeper understanding of the self. However, the conditional "would get there if I could" suggests an acknowledgment of limitations, as if the speaker is aware that their efforts may not be sufficient. The mention of "feet and hands and mind" emphasizes the physical and mental effort required to achieve this goal, reflecting the arduousness of the journey.

"Lady, do not banish me / for digressions. My nature / is a quagmire of unresolved / confessions. Lady, I follow." Here, the "Lady" emerges as a central figure—an ethereal, perhaps divine presence to whom the speaker appeals. The speaker asks not to be "banished" for their "digressions," suggesting a fear of rejection for their inability to remain focused or true. The reference to "unresolved confessions" implies a sense of guilt or incompletion, as if the speaker';s nature is marked by internal conflict and unfulfilled desires. The phrase "Lady, I follow" reveals a deep devotion and longing for connection, even in the face of uncertainty and inadequacy.

The subsequent lines, "I walked away from myself, / I left the room, I found the garden, / I knew the woman / in it, together we lay down," suggest a moment of escape and union. The speaker "walked away from myself," indicating a departure from their usual state of being, and found a garden—a recurring symbol of growth, renewal, and natural beauty. The garden is also a place of connection, where the speaker finds "the woman" and experiences a moment of intimacy. This momentary union contrasts sharply with the recurring sense of isolation elsewhere in the poem, offering a glimpse of fulfillment that is fleeting.

"Dead night remembers. In December / we change, not multiplied but dispersed, / sneaked out of childhood, / the ritual of dismemberment." These lines evoke a sense of transformation and loss. The "dead night" suggests an end or an absence, and "December" symbolizes the close of a cycle, the end of a year. The idea of changing, "not multiplied but dispersed," speaks to a sense of fragmentation, as if the speaker';s identity is breaking apart rather than growing. The reference to "sneaked out of childhood" and "the ritual of dismemberment" evokes the painful process of growing up and losing innocence—a theme that permeates the poem.

"Mighty magic is a mother, / in her there is another issue / of fixture, repeated form, the race renewal, / the charge of the command." This passage highlights the maternal force as a powerful, generative entity. The mother embodies "mighty magic," representing creation, continuity, and renewal. The "repeated form" and "race renewal" allude to the cyclical nature of life and the inevitability of rebirth. The maternal figure, then, is both a source of life and a symbol of continuity, a force that the speaker both reveres and grapples with in their search for meaning.

The poem continues with the reflection on the garden as a place of echoes, mirrors, and illusions: "The garden echoes across the room. / It is fixed in the wall like a mirror / that faces a window behind you / and reflects the shadows." This description evokes a sense of disorientation and distance, as if the garden is both present and inaccessible. The imagery of mirrors and reflections suggests that what the speaker seeks is always slightly out of reach, mediated by layers of perception and illusion.

"May I go now? / Am I allowed to bow myself down / in the ridiculous posture of renewal, / of the insistence of which I am the virtue?" These lines capture a sense of humility and supplication. The speaker asks for permission to "bow" themselves in a gesture of submission or reverence, seeking renewal despite feeling "ridiculous." The notion of "insistence" suggests a persistent longing, a desire to be virtuous or worthy of renewal, even if it requires humbling oneself.

The poem shifts toward an expression of frustration and longing: "So I screamed to You, / who hears as the wind, and changes / multiply, invariably, / changes in the mind." The speaker';s cry to the Lady is met with a sense of ambiguity—she "hears as the wind," suggesting an ephemeral and intangible response. The "changes in the mind" reflect the shifting nature of the speaker';s emotions and thoughts, emphasizing the instability of their inner world.

The closing lines, "In my mind I see the door, / I see the sunlight before me across the floor / beckon to me, as the Lady’s skirt / moves small beyond it," bring the poem full circle. The door remains a central symbol, representing both an opportunity for escape and a barrier to be overcome. The "sunlight before me across the floor" suggests hope, an invitation to move forward, while the image of the Lady';s skirt moving "small beyond it" conveys a sense of distance and unattainability. The Lady remains elusive, just out of reach, embodying the speaker';s unfulfilled desires and the quest for meaning that remains incomplete.

"Door; For Robert Duncan" is a complex and layered exploration of longing, identity, and the struggle for connection. Through vivid imagery and fragmented narrative, Robert Creeley captures the speaker';s oscillation between hope and despair, devotion and disillusionment. The door serves as a powerful symbol of both possibility and limitation, representing the speaker';s desire to transcend their current state while grappling with the realities of their own nature. The Lady, ethereal and elusive, embodies the unattainable ideal, the object of the speaker';s devotion, and the source of their ongoing quest for meaning. Ultimately, the poem speaks to the human condition—the desire for transformation, the inevitability of longing, and the enduring hope that drives us to keep seeking, even when the path is uncertain.

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