Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In Larry Eigner’s poem "I Have Felt It As They've Said," the poet explores the profound disconnect between language and experience, reflecting on the inherent limitations of words to capture the full spectrum of human emotion and perception. This brief yet dense piece delves into the philosophical and existential dilemma of communication, eloquently grappling with the tension between silence and expression.

The poem opens with a paradoxical statement, "I have felt it as they've said there is nothing to say / there is everything to speak of but the words are words." This juxtaposition of "nothing to say" with "everything to speak of" immediately sets the tone for a meditation on the inefficacy of language to fully articulate thoughts and feelings. The phrase "but the words are words" underscores a sense of resignation or frustration over the inadequacy of verbal expression to convey the depth of personal experience or the subtleties of emotional truth.

Eigner’s use of the phrase "when you speak that is a sound" further abstracts the act of speaking into mere noise, suggesting that once words are spoken, they often fail to retain the essence of the speaker’s intent or emotion. This reduction of speech to "a sound" highlights the gap between the speaker's internal world and the external expression, emphasizing the struggle to make oneself understood on more than a superficial level.

The line "what have you done, when you have spoken / of nothing / or something I will remember" poses a reflective question about the impact of words. It suggests that whether one speaks of "nothing" or "something," the lasting effect of that speech hinges not on the content alone but on the emotional resonance it may create in the listener. This idea that the speaker will "remember" hints at the subjective nature of communication—what sticks with us is often not the factual content but how it felt or was delivered.

The closing lines of the poem, "After trying my animal noise i break out with a man's cry," are particularly poignant. This shift from "animal noise" to "a man’s cry" metaphorically transitions from a primal, instinctual form of expression to a more distinctly human one, laden with consciousness and perhaps desperation. The "animal noise" could symbolize an unfiltered, raw emotional outpour that precedes the more articulate, but perhaps no less desperate, "man's cry."

"I Have Felt It As They've Said" is an incisive contemplation of the limitations and potentials of language. Eigner not only questions the utility of speech but also captures the human struggle to express the inexpressible. Through this poem, he invites readers to reflect on the ways we communicate, the frustrations of being misunderstood, and the moments when words can surprisingly transcend their own limitations to touch another's memory or emotion profoundly.

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