Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Carolyn Kizer's "To an Unknown Poet" is a stark and poignant exploration of societal and personal hypocrisy, layered with nuanced observations about privilege, art, and the human condition. Through a direct and confessional tone, Kizer dissects the discomfort and guilt felt by those who are part of the literary elite when confronted with the stark realities of poverty and struggle.

The poem begins with an immediate admission of discomfort: "I haven't the heart to say / you are not welcome here." This line sets the tone for the internal conflict that permeates the piece. The speaker’s reluctance to openly reject the unknown poet highlights a deep-seated guilt and a sense of social obligation. The description of the unknown poet's clothes, which "smell of poverty, illness / and unswept closets," vividly conveys the harsh realities of his life, drawing a sharp contrast with the speaker’s more comfortable existence.

Kizer paints a vivid picture of the intrusion into the speaker's life: "You come unannounced to my door / with your wild-faced wife and your many children." The use of "wild-faced" suggests desperation and perhaps a lack of social polish, further alienating the unknown poet and his family from the refined world of the speaker. The litany of excuses – "I am busy," "I have a dentist's appointment," "I have a terrible cold" – underscores the speaker's unwillingness to engage with the poet's plight, despite a superficial desire to help.

The poem deftly critiques the fragility of the speaker’s privileged life: "The children would run mad / through our living room, with its collected / bibelots and objects of art. / I am not as young as I was. / I am terrified of breakage." Here, the material possessions and the fear of their destruction symbolize the speaker’s broader fears of disruption and change. The careful curation of a life filled with "objects of art" stands in stark opposition to the chaotic and precarious existence of the unknown poet’s family.

Despite the speaker’s protestations of wanting to help, there is an inherent emptiness in these gestures: "I'd love to send you a box / Of hand-milled soap; / perhaps a check, / though it won't be enough to help." These offers, though seemingly generous, are ultimately hollow and insufficient, reflecting a superficial engagement with the poet's real needs. The visit to the poet’s reading, sparsely attended, further emphasizes the disconnect between the world of the speaker and that of the unknown poet. The scene of the children playing trains over the wife’s knees in "their torn jeans" amidst the reading captures a raw, unvarnished reality that starkly contrasts with the literary pretensions of the audience.

The poem culminates in the speaker's anticipation of receiving an award from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. The contrast between this honor, with its "hand-laid paper thick as clotted cream," and the poet’s dire circumstances is glaring. The noble old building of the Academy, described as "as pale as the Acropolis," surrounded by "a sea of slums," serves as a powerful metaphor for the isolation and insularity of the literary elite. The speaker’s journey to receive the award by taxi, juxtaposed with the unknown poet’s continued struggle on "the other coast," underscores the vast chasm between their worlds.

The final comparison to Rimbaud, "with his boy's face and broken teeth," places the unknown poet in a long tradition of neglected and misunderstood artists. While the elite "eat and drink and congratulate each other / in this bastion of culture," the unknown poet remains a distant, almost mythic figure, far removed from their thoughts and lives. This concluding image encapsulates the poem's critique of the literary establishment's failure to engage meaningfully with the very human struggles that often fuel great art.

In "To an Unknown Poet," Carolyn Kizer masterfully exposes the uncomfortable truths about privilege, empathy, and the often performative nature of support within the artistic community. Through a blend of stark imagery, candid confession, and biting irony, the poem invites readers to reflect on their own complicity in these dynamics and to consider the deeper responsibilities that come with privilege.