Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Charles Harper Webb’s "Socks" is a meditation on intimacy, vulnerability, and the fragile conditions of human connection. Using a simple and often overlooked object, the poem explores contrasts—between exposure and protection, desire and practicality, warmth and cold. What begins as a moment of self-consciousness in the speaker’s lover evolves into a philosophical reflection on human fragility and the necessity of companionship. The poem is marked by its quiet sensuality, its deft use of imagery, and its deeper existential undertones.

The poem opens with a moment of awkwardness: “She thinks she’s silly, making love in them.” The woman’s self-consciousness, revealed in her apologetic “Sorry”, stems from the perceived absurdity of wearing socks during an intimate act. Yet, her practical justification—“My feet get cold”—contrasts with the speaker’s unexpected appreciation for the act. Instead of seeing the socks as a barrier, he is drawn to the contrast they create: “public parts clothed, private not”. This inversion, where traditionally exposed areas remain covered while private areas are revealed, unsettles traditional notions of eroticism. The speaker describes this contrast as having an “unsettling quality, like clouds lolling on the ground as rain falls up”, an image that defies natural order and introduces a dreamlike surrealism. The comparison suggests that intimacy itself can be destabilizing, defying logical expectations and making the familiar strange.

Socks, often associated with practicality rather than sensuality, become symbolic in the poem. “Socks make her human”, the speaker asserts, distinguishing her from idealized or airbrushed depictions of female beauty. She is neither “Maja in majesty”—a reference to Francisco Goya’s famous painting La Maja Desnuda, which presents a reclining nude in an idealized form—nor “Bunny with an airbrushed muff”, invoking the artificial perfection of Playboy centerfolds. The presence of socks resists these conventions, grounding her in a more vulnerable and authentic reality.

The comparison of the woman to “a wounded thing” draws a connection between her human frailty and the mythological suffering of Plato’s androgynous beings. The allusion to Plato’s myth of love, in which humans were originally whole before being split apart by the gods, reinforces the idea of incompleteness and the longing for reunion. In this context, socks become an emblem of human imperfection, emphasizing the need for warmth, comfort, and connection.

The speaker then reflects on his own past, recalling a youthful impulse to adorn women with jewelry. The phrase “then pose them wearing just the silver necklace, topaz earrings, turquoise brooch” suggests an appreciation for beauty that, in his youth, may have been more aesthetic than deeply felt. However, age has altered his perspective. “Now age has taught him all about cold feet”—a phrase that, beyond its literal meaning, resonates with connotations of hesitation, fear, and the reality of physical frailty. The wisdom gained over time has made him acutely aware of how narrow the margin is between comfort and discomfort, between life and unlivable conditions. “He knows how small the range of temperature that lets people live”—a striking statement that shifts the poem’s focus from personal intimacy to a broader reflection on human survival. The line suggests that physical existence itself is precarious, requiring precise conditions to be sustained.

The final lines emphasize the fragility of the human body and the lengths people go to protect themselves. The speaker acknowledges that “flesh people protect with cloth and leather”—a reference not only to clothing but to the human tendency to shield oneself from both physical and emotional exposure. The tenderness of the feet, which bear the weight of movement yet remain one of the body’s most sensitive areas, serves as a metaphor for human vulnerability. The act of walking, running, or hobbling through life mirrors the struggle to navigate relationships and existence itself.

The closing image—“forlorn as single socks until they make a pair”—brings the poem’s themes to a poignant resolution. The metaphor transforms socks from a mundane detail into a symbol of companionship. Just as single socks are incomplete without their counterpart, so too are individuals who seek connection. The phrase suggests that human beings, despite their inherent fragility, find meaning and solace in partnership. It is a subtle yet profound statement on love—not as an idealized concept, but as a necessity for warmth, both literal and emotional.

"Socks" is a quiet yet deeply resonant poem that finds beauty in the mundane. Through its exploration of contrast—between exposure and concealment, youth and age, perfection and imperfection—Webb crafts a meditation on the nature of human intimacy. The poem’s central symbol transforms from an object of mild embarrassment into an emblem of tenderness, protection, and the need for connection. In its final lines, "Socks" ultimately affirms that love, like warmth, is not about ideal conditions but about finding solace in the imperfection of another.

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