Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Cleopatra Mathis's "Not Writing" offers a quiet, poignant exploration of the tension between artistic creation and the demands of everyday life. The poem reflects the speaker’s internal struggle as she navigates her roles as a mother and a poet, ultimately choosing the solace of domestic life over the call of creative ambition.

The opening lines establish the speaker’s ambivalence toward writing. By declaring, "The world is indifferent," she reveals a sense of futility about her craft, questioning its relevance and value outside her personal need for expression. The phrase "my own dark ego setting words to its music" underscores the internal, self-referential nature of her poetic drive, as though writing serves more as a personal indulgence than a meaningful contribution to the world. This introspection creates a subtle tension between the speaker’s desire to write and her doubt about its significance.

The poem then shifts to a tender, vivid scene of maternal care. The speaker describes her child, "little child banging against my brow, bruising my lip with his hard gold head," capturing the physical immediacy of parenting. The interplay between the child’s energy and the mother’s endurance becomes a microcosm of the larger themes of sacrifice and love. The repetition of "rock, rock forward and backward" mimics the soothing rhythm of caregiving, emphasizing the meditative, almost hypnotic nature of this maternal ritual. This motion, while physically tiring, also creates a sense of intimacy and connection, contrasting with the solitary act of writing.

The imagery of the sleeping child—"eyelashes and lips, the slight transaction of breath"—is rendered with delicate precision, transforming an ordinary moment into a tableau of peace and fulfillment. The speaker's observation of her child’s stillness provides her with a sense of completion, suggesting that this quiet, shared experience holds greater meaning than the solitary pursuit of her writing. The child’s rest mirrors the speaker’s internal stillness, as though the act of nurturing brings her closer to a form of contentment that eludes her at her desk.

Despite this sense of fulfillment, the speaker acknowledges her creative longing. The "cluttered desk in a far room" becomes a symbol of the deferred, perhaps unattainable, world of artistic ambition. This image juxtaposes the chaos of the creative space with the simplicity and order of the domestic realm. The speaker’s choice to remain with her child instead of retreating to her desk reflects her prioritization of the tangible, immediate world over the abstract demands of her creative ego.

The closing lines encapsulate the speaker’s complex relationship with her responsibilities and desires. She questions whether "oblivion"—a state of forgetfulness or surrender—is what she truly seeks. This term suggests both a yearning for freedom from the pressures of writing and a deeper acceptance of her role within the domestic sphere. The final catalog of domestic images—the "white rug, the folded wash, the scrubbed porcelain sink"—conveys a sense of simplicity and order, evoking the quiet beauty of ordinary life. These images stand in stark contrast to the abstract world of poetry, grounding the speaker in the tangible, physical acts of care and maintenance.

“Not Writing” is a meditation on the competing demands of creativity and caregiving, rendered with clarity and emotional resonance. Mathis captures the quiet heroism of choosing to nurture over creating, portraying this choice as both a sacrifice and a form of fulfillment. The poem invites readers to reflect on the nature of artistic ambition, the value of everyday moments, and the ways in which love and responsibility shape our lives. Through its intimate and contemplative tone, the poem affirms the richness of a life lived in connection with others, even at the expense of solitary pursuits.

Copyright (c) 2025 PoetryExplorer

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...