Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"4 A.M." by Kenneth Fearing is a reflective and melancholic poem that vividly captures the sense of isolation and despair felt by a group of people sitting in a bar late at night. Through the use of detailed imagery, repetition, and a keen observation of the surroundings, Fearing paints a portrait of a society plagued by loneliness, ennui, and a lack of meaning.

The poem opens with a description that immediately establishes a sense of displacement: "It is early evening, still, in Honolulu, and in London, now, it must be well past dawn; / But here, in the Riviera Cafe, on a street that has been lost and forgotten very long ago, as the clock moves steadily toward closing time." By referencing multiple time zones and contrasting them with the present location, Fearing creates a feeling of being out of sync with the rest of the world. The "lost and forgotten" street reinforces the idea of isolation, as if the bar exists in its own temporal and spatial bubble.

The setting inside the bar is equally dismal: "The spark of life is very low, if it burns at all. / And here we are, four lost and forgotten customers in this place that surely will never again be found." The metaphor of a dimly burning spark suggests that the patrons are barely holding on to their vitality. They are described as "lost and forgotten," sitting "at ten-foot intervals, along this lost and forgotten bar," emphasizing their physical and emotional distance from each other. Despite being in close proximity, "Wishing the space were further still, for we are still too close for comfort," they are unable to find solace in one another's company.

Fearing introduces a sense of eerie observation through the bartender, the elk's head, and the portrait of F.D.R., all of which "Must somehow be aware of us, too, as we stare at the cold interior of our lives, reflected in the mirror beneath and in back of them." The objects' silent gaze creates a feeling of being watched, while the mirror reflects the "cold interior" of their lives, hinting at the emptiness within.

The radio adds to the atmosphere of loneliness: "Hear how lonely the radio is, as its voice talks on, and on, unanswered." The futility of trying to find solace in music is illustrated when "a nickel dropped in the juke-box by a customer" fails to provide comfort, as "its music proves again that one's life is either too humdrum or too exciting, too empty or too full, too this, too that." The repetition of "too" highlights the extremes of dissatisfaction, where life is always lacking in some way.

The poem then introduces the only living creature that seems at peace: "Only the cat that has been sleeping in the window, now yawning and stretching and trotting to the kitchen to sleep again." The cat is depicted as a "living toy" that "knows what we feel, knows what we are, really knows what we only think we know." In this sense, the cat represents a kind of innocence and detachment that contrasts with the troubled introspection of the patrons.

As closing time approaches, the poem takes a darker turn: "Soon, too soon, it will be closing time, and the door will be locked; / Each of us will be alone, soon, with something too ravaging for a name— / (Our golden, glorious futures, perhaps)." The sarcastic use of "golden, glorious futures" underscores the bleak reality that awaits each patron once they leave the bar. The idea of being alone with something "too ravaging for a name" suggests an existential dread that looms over them.

Fearing concludes with a warning: "Lock the door now and put out the lights, before some terrible stranger enters and gives, to each of us, an answer that is the final truth." This ominous stranger may represent the harsh reality or truth that the patrons are trying to avoid. By locking the door and putting out the lights, they can momentarily escape the inevitable confrontation with their own existential fears.

The poem ends with a broader reflection on society's obsession with spectacle and experience: "They say the Matterhorn at dawn, and the Northern Lights of the Arctic, are things that should be seen; / They say, they say—in time, you will hear them say anything, and everything." This juxtaposition of natural beauty with the emptiness of urban life highlights the superficial nature of societal expectations.

Fearing leaves the reader with a final question: "What would the elk's head, or the remote bartender say, if they could speak?" The elk's head and bartender, as silent witnesses to the patrons' lives, represent the indifferent world that surrounds them. The poem concludes with the observation that "The booth where last night's love affair began, the spot where last year's homicide occurred, are empty now, and still," suggesting that life, with its moments of passion and violence, ultimately fades into a static emptiness.

Overall, "4 A.M." by Kenneth Fearing is a vivid portrayal of urban isolation and existential despair. The poem's imagery and repetition underscore the monotony and loneliness of modern life, while the use of symbolism and personification adds depth to the portrayal of the human condition.

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