Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Night Flight Letter to Weldon Kees Found Wadded Up Inside a Lucky Strike Wrapper" by Christopher Howell is an imagined correspondence with the enigmatic poet Weldon Kees, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances at the age of forty-one, possibly by suicide. In this poem, Howell contemplates Kees’s life and disappearance, addressing themes of mortality, artistic kinship, and the struggle to find meaning. Through a blend of admiration, frustration, and introspective questioning, Howell explores the pressures of life as an artist, and the haunting allure of departure.

The poem begins with Howell’s admission that he is writing to Kees because of a perceived “kinship of sensibility” between them. Yet as he flies over Kansas “at a dizzy cloudless elevation,” he confesses he “can’t see it,” indicating a sense of distance from, or even bewilderment toward, the connection that others suggest exists between them. This disconnection highlights Howell’s internal conflict about understanding Kees’s choices, particularly the poet’s rumored decision to end his life. This opening reveals both Howell’s skepticism and his desire to understand what drives someone to make such a profound and final choice.

Howell describes Kees as having a “swept-back Nathanael West darkness,” referencing the author known for his satirical portrayals of American disillusionment and despair. This allusion places Kees within a lineage of American cynicism and existential questioning, where bleak realities coexist with a biting sense of humor. Howell acknowledges Kees’s appeal—his cool detachment and “love for the cynical tide of things”—and contrasts it with his own struggle to embrace life fully. The speaker’s admiration for Kees’s style and his engagement with life’s darker aspects reveal Howell’s complex relationship with Kees as both an admirer and a critic.

The line “I’m your age now is another reason I’m contacting you” adds a personal layer to the poem. Howell, having reached the same age at which Kees disappeared, feels an urgent kinship not only through poetry but through shared mortality. Kees’s disappearance at forty-one becomes a stark reminder of life’s brevity, and Howell confronts this as he admits, “I’m clinging to every shred of time, by God.” This urgency to hold onto life reflects Howell’s desire to make sense of existence, to find meaning in the face of mortality—a desire that he feels Kees might have abandoned. Howell’s longing “for one more kiss in the arms of such mystery” underscores his love for life, despite its challenges, as well as the deep mystery of existence that he, like Kees, cannot fully grasp.

The poem takes on a confessional tone as Howell admits, “So I was a PI and a tough character,” claiming a life lived boldly, perhaps even recklessly, like Kees. This shared boldness, he wonders, might link them in spirit. He questions, “So I loved without any particular restraint or shame. I love you, too; does that make us similar?” This line blurs the boundary between admiration and identification, suggesting that Howell’s life, while different, resonates with Kees’s through shared experiences of love, resilience, and fearlessness.

In the heart of the poem, Howell confronts the rumor of Kees’s suicide, asking, “Did you really jump, throw it all into ‘them shark-infested waves’ like a prom queen who’s gotten old?” This line is a raw expression of disbelief and frustration, characterizing Kees’s potential act as a tragic surrender, almost a cliché, something unfitting for an artist with his depth and intelligence. The image of a prom queen, fading with age, suggests a loss of purpose or worth, yet Howell resents this association, as if Kees’s disappearance betrayed his artistry and left his admirers “lonely for your profile.”

The poem then shifts to a broader existential reflection, where Howell confronts the illogic of the world, likening himself and others to “Ptolemy,” the ancient astronomer whose theories were later proven incorrect. By calling Ptolemy “wrong,” Howell suggests that human understanding is inherently flawed, particularly regarding life and death. He points to the countless unknowns and tragedies, such as “the solitary tapping pattern buried in Mexico City rubble for days,” representing the random, often unjust suffering that punctuates human life. Howell asks if Kees could have been such a soul—lost and buried under life’s immense pressures, quietly slipping into oblivion. The poem here transcends its personal inquiry, touching on universal questions about existence and the resilience required to endure it.

The poem’s final lines embody Howell’s conflicting emotions about Kees’s departure. Howell candidly expresses his anger: “Well, I think you’re a shit for going off like that, on purpose,” voicing the anger and sadness of someone left behind, someone who admires Kees but feels betrayed by his exit. His accusation conveys the loss felt by those who remain, who looked to Kees as a source of insight, only to be left “lonely” for his presence and wisdom. Howell’s longing “for someone like you but older and hopeful” conveys a desire for a version of Kees who could have offered guidance through his later years rather than vanishing into mystery.

"Night Flight Letter to Weldon Kees Found Wadded Up Inside a Lucky Strike Wrapper" is a rich, introspective poem that explores the difficult questions surrounding life, art, and mortality. Through Howell’s imagined dialogue with Kees, the poem touches on the allure of departure, the bitterness of abandonment, and the resilience required to confront life’s uncertainties. Howell’s admiration for Kees is balanced by his frustration, resulting in a complex portrait of both men—one who vanished into legend and one who remains, grappling with what it means to live. The poem ultimately reflects the human need for meaning, connection, and endurance in the face of life’s profound mysteries, leaving readers with the sense that to live is to continue, despite the questions that may never have answers.

Copyright (c) 2025 PoetryExplorer

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...