Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Tony Hoagland's "Travellers" captures the nuanced and often complicated nature of human relationships and the existential journey of seeking meaning and connection. The poem sets its stage in mundane locations such as coffee shops and airport terminals, where the ordinary actions of lovers become metaphors for deeper introspection and emotional negotiation.

The opening lines immediately place the lovers in a state of contemplation: "In the coffee shops and restaurants, the airport terminals and lounges, the lovers are debating the pleasures of presence versus the pleasures of absence." This dichotomy between presence and absence reflects the universal struggle in relationships—the tension between being together and the longing created by separation. The image of "drawing diagrams and dotted lines in the wet glassrings left behind by other customers" evokes a sense of transient attempts to make sense of their emotions using the ephemeral traces of others.

As the lovers engage in these abstract exercises, they build "little barricades and highways out of breakfast crumbs," symbolizing the barriers and paths they create in their relationships. The poem acknowledges their struggles with understanding: "And if, looking up, they find that they've arrived at no conclusions, who can blame them?" This rhetorical question emphasizes the inherent complexity and ambiguity of human emotions and connections.

Hoagland's metaphor of being "stranded once or twice before upon the road between desire and its destination—like a car that's out of gas, or a noun without an adjective" speaks to the moments of feeling lost or incomplete in the journey of love. This imagery highlights the difficulty of achieving fulfillment and the sense of inadequacy that can accompany unfulfilled desires.

Despite these challenges, the lovers "want so much to mash their faces into the mushy sky of something warm and human," indicating their deep yearning for connection and intimacy. Their desire to "make some sweeping declarations about the rest of their existence" and their instinct to "flap their arms and swear that they can fly" reflect a hopeful, if naive, belief in the power of love to transcend their doubts and fears.

Hoagland acknowledges the lovers' inherent vulnerability and persistence: "No jury would convict them of anything but being hungry for proof of their existence, / anything but the bigamy of marrying their favorite mistake one time or two too many." This line recognizes the human tendency to repeat mistakes in the search for validation and the inherent longing to be understood and loved.

The poem culminates in a series of symbolic gestures: "He draws a line of water on formica, like a car following a highway between A and C. She rubs a circle in a splash of tea like the circle you might clear in the breath-fogged window of a speeding train." These actions reflect their attempts to navigate their emotions and create clarity amidst the confusion. The lovers' collaborative effort to "fashion the small white flags of their surrender" using napkin pieces and toothpicks represents a truce with their fears, allowing them to move forward.

Hoagland concludes with a powerful image of mutual understanding and acceptance: "the truce with fear / that lets them move a little farther out into the foreign country of the future / where all of us are strangers." This ending underscores the idea that while the future is unknown and intimidating, the act of facing it together provides a sense of solidarity and courage.

In "Travellers," Tony Hoagland masterfully uses ordinary settings and actions to explore the complexities of relationships and the human condition. The poem delves into themes of longing, vulnerability, and the ongoing struggle to find meaning and connection in an uncertain world. Through its vivid imagery and poignant reflections, "Travellers" invites readers to contemplate their own journeys and the delicate balance between desire and fulfillment.

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