Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Carolyn Kizer's poem "Promising Author" captures the poignant memories and tumultuous relationship between the speaker and a once-promising writer. Through vivid imagery and evocative narrative, Kizer reflects on the complexities of friendship, ambition, and the inevitable decline that often accompanies human frailty.

The poem begins with the speaker reminiscing about a drive on the road to Stinson Beach, evoking a sense of nostalgia for a past filled with both promise and tension: "I remember your witty gap-toothed face / Half-ruined in a dozen shore-leave brawls." The description of the author's face, marked by the physical scars of altercations, immediately sets a tone of ruggedness and vulnerability. The image of "straw hair and softening" hints at the passage of time and the physical changes that accompany it.

As the speaker recalls a specific drive with the author, the sense of danger and excitement is palpable: "Skidding on curves between the pepper trees. / You whipped the wheel as though it were a helm / And laughed at my nauseated pleas." The author's reckless driving and laughter in the face of the speaker's fear reveal a carefree, almost reckless attitude toward life, which contrasts sharply with the later revelations about his character.

The memory of the beach and the "finest soup" the author made—"scallops, peas and leeks"—provides a brief moment of idyllic happiness and companionship. This scene evokes a simpler time when the author's talents and charm were on full display, likening him to "the cook on some old tramp / Scudding through Conrad seas," a boy still dazzled by his own potential and grace.

However, the mood shifts dramatically as the poem delves into the author's behavior in a Sausalito bar, where he "curl[s] [his] lip / As [he] ran down every writer in the place." His increasing unkindness with each drink exposes a darker side, one that drives the speaker to flee to the French Hotel. This moment marks the beginning of the author's decline, underscored by his subsequent marriage to Beth, who "bought [him] monogrammed silk shirts," symbolizing a superficial success that fails to bring true fulfillment.

The speaker's reflection on the author's transformation into someone "glib as any Grub Street hack" and his desperate pleas for help to write a novel he would never complete illustrate the tragic trajectory of his life. The line "As I turned you from the door / You cursed me, and I cursed you back" reveals the bitterness and disappointment that have come to define their relationship.

In the poem's final lines, the speaker offers a profound and empathetic revelation: "Once I believed you were the great white shark, / Slick predator, with tough scarred hide. / But now I know you were a small sea-lion, / Vulnerable, whiskery, afraid, / Who wept for mercy as you died." This shift in perception from seeing the author as a formidable, predatory figure to recognizing his underlying vulnerability and fear provides a powerful commentary on the nature of human frailty and the illusions we hold about others.

"Promising Author" by Carolyn Kizer is a deeply reflective and emotionally resonant poem that captures the complexities of a friendship marked by ambition, disappointment, and ultimately, compassion. Through vivid imagery and a poignant narrative, Kizer explores the human condition, revealing the underlying vulnerability that often lies beneath the surface of bravado and success.