Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Stanley Kunitz's "River Road" is a vivid and introspective exploration of personal and historical trauma, set against the backdrop of a failing marriage and the haunting memories of a turbulent time. Through a blend of rich imagery and poignant reflections, Kunitz delves into the intersection of personal pain and broader historical forces.

The poem opens with a stark admission: "That year of the cloud, when my marriage failed," immediately situating the reader in a period of emotional turmoil. The phrase "year of the cloud" suggests a pervasive sense of gloom and confusion, a metaphorical cloud hanging over the speaker's life. The speaker's insomnia, "I slept in a chair, by the flagstone hearth, / fighting my sleep," underscores his inner unrest. The image of the Hessian soldier, "stand at attention there in full / regalia, till his head broke into flames," evokes a sense of historical haunting, as if the past's unresolved conflicts are manifesting in the present.

The presence of the FBI, investigating the speaker as a potential Russian spy, introduces a layer of paranoia and societal mistrust: "My only other callers were the FBI / sent to investigate me as a Russian spy / by patriotic neighbors on the river road." This intrusion into the speaker's life reflects the broader anxieties of the Cold War era, where suspicion and fear permeated everyday life. The juxtaposition of this intense scrutiny with the whimsical antics of "flying squirrels parachuting from the elms" adds a surreal quality to the poem, blending the absurd with the sinister.

The speaker's reluctance to open the attic door hints at deeper fears and unspoken horrors: "I never dared open the attic door." This fear is mirrored in the strange behavior of his chickens, who succumb to a mysterious ailment, "a variation of the blind staggers," leading to their eventual demise by cyanide. The county agent's grim assessment, "not one of them was spared the cyanide," underscores the inevitability of loss and the pervasive presence of death.

As the poem progresses, the speaker shifts from the enclosed spaces of his home to the expansive fields: "I paced up and down the bottom-fields, / tamping the mud-puddled nurslings in / with a sharp blow of the heel." This physical labor, planting trees "red pine and white, larch, balsam fir," serves as a form of catharsis and a means of imposing order on the chaos of his life. The repetitive, rhythmic nature of the work, "timed to the chop-chop of the hoe," provides a temporary respite from his emotional turmoil.

The song of the veery, "the downward spiral of a veery’s song / unwinding on the eve of war," introduces a note of foreboding, connecting the personal strife of the speaker's life with the broader context of impending conflict. The speaker's lament, "Lord! Lord! who has lived so long? / Count it ten thousand trees ago," reflects on the passage of time and the enduring nature of suffering and resilience.

In the final stanzas, the speaker reflects on the changes in the landscape and his own sense of belonging: "The stranger who hammers No Trespass signs / to the staghorn sumac along the road / must think he owns this property." This assertion of ownership by another contrasts with the speaker's deep connection to the land, "I walk into the woods I made, / my dark and resinous, blistered land," emphasizing the transient nature of possession and the lasting impact of personal labor and love.

Kunitz concludes with a poignant meditation on memory and legacy, "through the deep litter of the years," suggesting that the physical and emotional scars of the past continue to shape the present. The poem's intricate weaving of personal and historical narratives, combined with its rich, evocative imagery, creates a powerful exploration of identity, loss, and the enduring quest for meaning amidst the ravages of time.

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