Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Jane Kenyon's poem "At the Dime Store" captures a poignant reunion between the speaker and a handyman who once worked on their house. Through vivid and candid imagery, Kenyon explores themes of time, change, and the small yet significant connections that form in everyday life.

The poem opens with a striking observation: “Since I saw him last his teeth have gone. / The gaps draw my eyes, and like Saint Paul I give way: that very thing I would not do, I do.” This initial image sets a tone of vulnerability and change, as the speaker involuntarily focuses on the man’s altered appearance. The reference to Saint Paul underscores the speaker’s struggle with judgment and empathy, highlighting the human tendency to notice and react to physical changes.

Kenyon reflects on the past, recalling the handyman's presence during a summer: “Most of one summer he was around, coming by seven each morning with his rascally look to build a new wing and replace the old north sill.” This memory evokes a sense of routine and familiarity, as well as the handyman’s characteristic charm and reliability. However, his sporadic disappearances hint at underlying personal troubles: “Sometimes he'd disappear for a day or a week. There was trouble at home and on his lunch hour he'd call-just over the town line, and so long distance—thinking we couldn't hear or wouldn't care.” This passage adds depth to the handyman’s character, revealing the struggles he faced beyond the job site.

The poem shifts to the present encounter in the dime store: “When I encounter him again in the aisles we both grin shyly. His boy, tall suddenly, and bulky, not built like his father at all, joins him at the check-out. They've got an aquarium in their cart.” The mutual shyness and the presence of his son, who has grown and changed, emphasize the passage of time. The aquarium in their cart symbolizes new beginnings and small joys amidst the changes and challenges of life.

Kenyon then reflects on the completion of the job: “At last the job was finished. All but taking up the piles of extra shingles, saw horses, and lumber from the back yard.” This line suggests that while the main task was completed, remnants of the handyman’s work lingered, much like the memories of his presence. The speaker’s attempts to contact him again, met with assurances from his wife, highlight the tenuousness of their connection.

The poem concludes with a scene of absence: “And finally one day he did / while I was up in town having a filling replaced. Years old and deep, it had been hurting for some time. When I got home, shaky and feeling mussed, I saw that everything of substance was gone, leaving only white rectangular spaces on the lawn.” The imagery of the filling replacement parallels the handyman’s departure, both representing something old and painful being addressed. The “white rectangular spaces” left on the lawn symbolize the voids left by both the handyman’s work and his absence, emphasizing the transient nature of relationships and the marks they leave behind.

In "At the Dime Store," Jane Kenyon masterfully captures the fleeting yet impactful nature of everyday encounters. Through her precise and evocative language, she invites readers to reflect on the passage of time, the changes it brings, and the quiet, often unnoticed connections that shape our lives. The poem serves as a meditation on the small but significant moments that linger in our memories, leaving lasting impressions in their wake.

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