Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"How It Passes" by Carolyn Kizer is a poignant meditation on the passage of time, the pressure of familial and societal expectations, and the haunting specters of past traumas. Through a series of resolutions and reflections, Kizer explores the intricate dance between procrastination, ambition, and the inevitable approach of old age.

The poem begins with a commitment to emulate the speaker's mother in the kitchen: "Tomorrow I'll begin to cook like Mother: / All the dishes I love, which take her / Such hours to prepare." The specificity of the dishes—finnan haddie, beef stew, applesauce, bread pudding, lemon sponge—evokes a sense of nostalgia and a longing to recreate the warmth and security of a happy childhood. These "sweet nursery foods" symbolize the comfort and love the speaker associates with their mother's care and dedication.

Transitioning from culinary aspirations to emulating her father, the poem takes a darker turn: "Starting tomorrow, I'll be brave like Father, / Now that I don't have those recurring nightmares." Here, the speaker's father's bravery is tied to horrific memories of violence and oppression: "jackboots on the stairs, the splintered door / just before dawn, / And the fascists dragging Daddy out of bed." The vivid and brutal imagery of her father's torture—his spine cracking on cement, being forced to brush his teeth with his own excrement—illustrates the harrowing cost of standing up for justice and truth. This haunting legacy of bravery is a heavy burden, and the speaker acknowledges the trauma embedded in such a legacy.

Kizer then shifts to the realm of intellectual and creative ambition: "I'll begin tomorrow. I'll learn how to work / Like my brilliant friends who speak in tongues, / Who drink and crack up, but keep on working." The speaker admires her friends' ability to persevere despite their struggles, contrasting it with her own perceived lack of productivity: "While I waste my time in reading, reading, reading / The words of my brilliant and not-so-brilliant friends." The tension between admiration and self-reproach highlights the speaker's internal conflict and the societal pressure to achieve and produce.

The poem’s introspective nature deepens as the speaker promises to "increase production, gather up / all those beginnings / Of abandoned novels." This acknowledgment of unfulfilled potential and abandoned projects underscores the anxiety of ambition and the fear of wasted time. The speaker's secret ambitions and the contemplation of "fading paragraphs" reflect a yearning to fulfill latent creative desires and to leave a meaningful legacy.

As the poem draws to a close, the tone shifts to one of resignation and existential fatigue: "There is plenty of time. / I'll find the starter button soon." This line captures the universal tendency to procrastinate, to believe in the endless availability of time to accomplish one's goals. However, the poem’s final lines confront the harsh reality of aging and mortality: "It's just that I'm so sleepy tonight, so tired... / And when I wake up tomorrow, I'll be old. / And when night comes tomorrow, / It won't go away." This poignant conclusion emphasizes the fleeting nature of time and the inevitability of growing old. The perpetual deferral of action and the exhaustion that accompanies it culminate in a stark realization of the finite nature of life.

"How It Passes" is a powerful reflection on the interplay between aspiration and procrastination, the weight of familial legacies, and the inexorable march of time. Through vivid imagery and introspective narrative, Kizer captures the essence of human frailty and the poignant beauty of striving amidst the certainty of eventual decline. The poem invites readers to contemplate their own lives, ambitions, and the delicate balance between action and inaction.

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