Creeley's "I Know a Man": A Metaphysical Conceit

Abstract

AT FIRST INSPECTION, Robert Creeley's I Know a Man prob ably does not provoke associations with metaphysical poets of sev enteenth century, who bring together ideas that few readers expect to be joined. Mysterious in its brevity, obscure in its references, and vulgar in its language, poem seems like a joke; however, Creeley's humor is actu ally yoked to serious spiritual concerns. In I Know a Man, joining of antithetical forces of humor and seriousness, vulgarity and piety, and confusion and conviction creates a metaphysical energy that places Creeley in company of Donne, Herbert, Crashaw, and other metaphysical poets of seventeenth century. In first stanzas of I Know a Man, a confused speaker reveals his spiritual weakness. He admits that he is always talking, which indicates that he merely babbles. Apparently, speaker tries to mask his bewilder ment with drinking, but he only makes his confusion more evident, for he slurs his speech with words like sd and yr, and he talks to his friend, calling him John although speaker is certain that his friend's name is really something else. Moreover, while addressing John, speaker fumbles for words. He tries to raise questions about lack of direction in his spiritual life, but he can only form his questions in halting, uncertain language; he asks, what/can we do and then slips into vagueries such as or else, shall we &/why not. The speaker's confusion is clearest in his admission that the darkness sur/ rounds him and his friend. This hapless fellow wonders what alternatives exist, but only option that occurs to him is vulgar and materialistic suggestion to buy a god damn big car. Despite such base and confused behavior, poem takes a decisive and clearly spiritual turn in final stanza. The setting for dialogue is a car that speaker is driving, and speaker's erratic behavior worries his companion, who orders speaker to drive and urges him to look out where he is going. The companion's recommended solution for a lack of direction on a dark road is to stop floundering with words and to keep an eye on road. That such advice should come from a man addressed as