Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Robert Creeley';s poem "Ear" is a concise yet thought-provoking reflection on the internal and external pressures that shape a person';s identity. Through the imagery of trying to move furniture through a "small aperture," Creeley captures the struggle of fitting external expectations into the confines of one’s own mind. The poem explores themes of limitation, internal secrecy, and the influence of societal forces on individual experience. With its compact form and carefully chosen language, "Ear" portrays the tension between what is internalized and what is allowed to be expressed.

The opening lines, "He cannot move the furniture / through that small aperture," establish a metaphor that runs throughout the poem. The "furniture" represents thoughts, ideas, or experiences that are too large or complex to pass through the "small aperture." The use of the word "aperture" evokes a narrow opening—something that cannot accommodate the full scope of what the speaker wishes to move. This suggests that there are limitations to what can be communicated or understood. The imagery implies an internal struggle to fit something significant within a constrained space, indicating the difficulty of conveying one';s inner thoughts to the outside world.

The next line, "yet / expects it must serve / used with reserve," speaks to a sense of resignation or compromise. The speaker "expects" that the aperture "must serve," suggesting a need to make do with what is available, despite its inadequacy. The phrase "used with reserve" implies caution and restraint, as if the speaker is careful about what is allowed to pass through the aperture. This reflects the limitations of self-expression, where only a controlled portion of one';s thoughts or experiences can be communicated, while the rest remains hidden or unspoken.

The poem then shifts focus to the "company that comes" who "runs to be first in, / arranges what it can / within the man." Here, the "company" represents external forces—perhaps society, expectations, or other people—that seek to impose their influence on the individual. The company "runs to be first in," suggesting a competitive eagerness to shape or occupy the inner space of the man. The act of "arranging what it can" conveys an attempt to organize or control the internal world of the individual, determining what fits within the constraints of the aperture. This highlights the tension between external influence and internal autonomy, as the man is shaped, in part, by forces beyond his control.

The final lines, "who (poor fool) bulges / with secrets he never divulges," reveal the internal consequence of these influences. The phrase "poor fool" evokes sympathy for the man, suggesting that he is unaware of the extent to which he is being influenced or manipulated by external forces. The word "bulges" conveys an image of something that is overfilled or struggling to be contained, implying that the man is overwhelmed by the secrets he holds within. These "secrets" are never divulged, reflecting the weight of unspoken thoughts and emotions that are kept hidden, either out of fear, shame, or an inability to express them. The man is left holding onto these secrets, unable to release them through the narrow aperture that constrains his self-expression.

The structure of the poem is compact, with short, rhymed lines that create a sense of confinement, mirroring the limited aperture through which the speaker tries to move the "furniture." The rhyme scheme and rhythm contribute to a sense of inevitability, as if the man';s situation is predetermined by the constraints placed upon him. The enjambment between lines creates a continuous flow, emphasizing the ongoing struggle to reconcile internal thoughts with external expectations.

In "Ear," Robert Creeley delves into the complexities of communication, the limitations of self-expression, and the impact of external forces on the individual. The poem captures the tension between what is held inside and what is allowed to be expressed, illustrating the difficulty of conveying one';s true self in a world that imposes constraints and expectations. The man in the poem is left overwhelmed by the secrets he cannot share, revealing the weight of unspoken thoughts and the struggle for autonomy in the face of external pressures. Ultimately, "Ear" speaks to the challenges of navigating the interplay between internal experience and external influence, and the limitations that shape how much of oneself can be truly understood or communicated.

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