Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In Robert Creeley's poem "Waiting (1)," the poet explores the inner turmoil of a man grappling with the limitations of language, the weight of solitude, and the fear of reaching an ultimate end without resolution or fulfillment. The narrative voice reflects a palpable anxiety about the potential cessation of meaningful interaction, both with the self and with others, as well as the inherent risk that accompanies any attempt to reach out or to express.

The opening lines, "He pushes behind the words / which, awkward, catch / and turn him to a disturbed / and fumbling man," establish a sense of struggle with language. Here, Creeley presents words not as reliable tools but as obstacles that can hinder and distort one's expression. This "pushing behind the words" suggests a tension between what the man wishes to convey and what he is able to communicate, reflecting a vulnerability in the face of language's limitations. The choice of words like "awkward," "disturbed," and "fumbling" intensifies the portrayal of the speaker's struggle, suggesting that words fail him and leave him isolated, grappling with his own inadequacies.

The repetition of "What if" marks a shift from external struggle to internal contemplation, as the speaker considers the unsettling possibility of everything coming to a halt. "What if it all stops. / Then silence / is as silence was / again." This line seems to evoke a fear of death, or at the very least, a cessation of meaning and purpose. The idea that "silence is as silence was again" hints at a return to an absolute quiet, perhaps a pre-existence state, devoid of thought, action, and sensation. Silence here is depicted not merely as the absence of sound, but as a haunting void that the man desperately wishes to avoid.

The poem then moves to the fear of finality: "What if the last time / he was moved to touch, / work out in his own mind, / such limits was the last—." Creeley touches on the human tendency to fear the finality of experiences. There is an acute anxiety that the "last time" one felt motivated, engaged, or connected might indeed be the last opportunity. This line brings forth the man's apprehension about missed connections, emotional numbness, and the passing of moments that might never return. The words "moved to touch" suggest both physical and emotional connection, implying that he may fear a permanent loss of intimacy or meaningful interaction.

Creeley further amplifies the sense of dread with "and then a quiet, a dull / space of hanging actions, all / depending on some time / has come and gone." The dullness and the "hanging actions" portray a life in suspension, where actions lose their significance and are left incomplete, dependent on a time that has already passed. This image creates a haunting sense of purposelessness, as though life has become a series of hollow gestures awaiting a catalyst that will never come. Creeley’s choice of words paints a bleak picture of time as an indifferent force that moves on, leaving behind those who cannot keep up.

The closing lines bring a glimmer of existential urgency: "God help him then / if such things can. / That risk / is all there is." Here, the plea for divine assistance suggests a desperation that extends beyond earthly capacities. The phrase "if such things can" introduces a note of skepticism about the reliability or willingness of any external force, even God, to intervene in such personal anguish. This resignation leads to the final statement, "That risk / is all there is," which encapsulates the poem's central theme. In a world where certainty and security seem unattainable, it is only through embracing the inherent risks of vulnerability, expression, and connection that one can find meaning.

In "Waiting (1)," Creeley delves into the solitary human struggle against the void—both the internal void created by language’s inadequacies and the external void of silence and finality. The poem examines how individuals are caught between the desire to reach out and the fear of what might be lost or ended in the attempt. Through minimalist language and introspective exploration, Creeley articulates a poignant and universal fear: that our lives are fleeting and that our connections, fraught with misunderstanding and impermanence, are all we have to combat the isolating forces of existence. In the end, it is the willingness to take risks—to speak, to reach, to feel—that offers the only hope for escaping silence and making life meaningful.

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