Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Robert Creeley’s poem "Faces" contemplates the intersection between identity, time, and the emotional weight of existence. It presents a series of faces—those of people from everyday life—imbued with deeper meanings, suggesting that what we see on the surface is often a mere reflection of the complexities that lie beneath. Through his use of stark imagery, philosophical undertones, and a tone that oscillates between melancholic and reflective, Creeley captures the inevitability of aging, the futility of trying to escape the passage of time, and the persistent presence of memory.

The poem opens with a broad, almost indifferent view of these faces: "The faces with anticipated youth / look out from the current identifications, judge or salesman." Here, Creeley introduces the concept of "anticipated youth," suggesting that the people we encounter, whether judges, salesmen, or other familiar roles in society, carry with them the marks of their pasts—their youthful aspirations, their lost potential. These faces are not unique or distinguished by their individual characteristics but are instead viewed through the lens of the roles they now inhabit, roles that have come to define them. The juxtaposition between "anticipated youth" and "current identifications" creates a sense of dissonance, as the promise of youth is measured against the reality of adult life. These faces seem trapped in the expectations of their past selves, now overshadowed by the roles they play in the present.

Creeley’s use of the phrase "mattering only as the sliding world they betoken" points to a deeper commentary on identity and existence. The people represented by these faces, whether they are a neighbor, a judge, or even "the man who killed," are no longer defined by their individual actions or identities but by the "sliding world" they symbolize. The word "sliding" suggests a sense of transience or instability, emphasizing the fleeting nature of identity. The people themselves are not what matter; instead, it is the broader movement of time and society that shapes their significance. In this sense, identity becomes fluid, always shifting, never static.

The next lines deepen this sense of futility: "the time it never mattered to accumulate, the fact that nothing mattered but for what one ';could make of it.';" Here, Creeley suggests that the accumulation of experience or material wealth—whether time, achievements, or possessions—ultimately holds no intrinsic value. The only thing that truly matters is what one can make of life in the moment, the transient pleasures and pains that punctuate existence. The use of the phrase "some passing, oblique pleasure, a pain immense in its intensity" underscores this idea, contrasting the fleeting nature of joy with the overwhelming force of suffering. The sharpness of this pain stands in stark contrast to the vagueness of the pleasure, perhaps hinting that pain often leaves a more lasting impression on the human psyche.

The poem’s emotional heart lies in the "sly but insistent yearning to outwit it all." This desire to "outwit" life, to escape the inevitability of time and suffering, is one that many people experience. The speaker’s yearning is described as "sly," suggesting a quiet, almost secretive rebellion against the forces that govern existence. Yet, the word "insistent" implies that this yearning is ever-present, refusing to be silenced. The speaker longs to "be different, move far, far away," to escape the familiarity and the expectations that come with it. This desire for escape is both physical and emotional, a wish to distance oneself from the roles and faces that have come to define existence.

However, Creeley tempers this yearning with a grim reality. The poem closes with a haunting image: "avoid forever the girl / next door, whose cracked, wrinkled / smile will still persist, still know you." This final image brings the theme of inevitability full circle. No matter how far one might try to escape, the faces of the past—like the girl next door—will continue to haunt and recognize us. The "cracked, wrinkled smile" represents the passage of time and the aging process, a reminder that even those we once knew in youth will eventually succumb to time’s relentless march. The fact that this smile "will still persist, still know you" suggests the persistence of memory and the inescapability of one’s past. Even if the speaker manages to escape the physical presence of these faces, the emotional and psychological ties remain.

Creeley’s "Faces" is a meditation on time, identity, and the futility of trying to escape the inevitabilities of life. The poem’s fragmented, minimalist structure mirrors the fractured nature of human existence, where moments of clarity are interspersed with uncertainty and longing. Through his use of sparse yet evocative language, Creeley captures the tension between the desire to break free from the roles and expectations that shape our lives and the inevitability of being recognized by the faces of the past. The poem leaves the reader with a sense of resignation, as it acknowledges the persistence of memory and the inexorable passage of time, even in the face of efforts to escape.

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