Summary
Lines 1-2
In "I Stop Writing the Poem," the title acts as the poem's opening line, with the actual first line completing the thought initiated by the title. This setup highlights the reason the author has ceased writing. Readers are compelled to revisit the title to fully grasp the gravity of the event that has disrupted the poet’s life. Upon revisiting the title and the subsequent phrase in the first line, readers are struck by both the mundane nature of folding clothes and the apparent absurdity of a poet halting her work to tend to laundry tasks. Additionally, readers recognize the irony in the title, as it is clear the poet has not actually stopped writing poems.
The latter part of the first line offers a clue to the true reason for the poet’s pause in writing. The phrase "no matter who lives" concludes the first line without punctuation, suggesting to the reader that a contrasting statement is imminent, which indeed follows in the second line. The speaker is presumed to be the one who continues living, allowing readers to infer that someone close to the speaker has passed away. However, the final phrase of the second line is somewhat ambiguous and potentially misleading. Gallagher writes, "I'm still a woman." Could this refer to the act of ironing, or is there a deeper meaning? She might be hinting at an additional layer of loss that a woman might experience upon losing her husband. This phrase implies that her husband has taken a part of her with him. At this juncture in the poem, the reader is left to interpret the hidden meaning.
Line 3
In the third line, Gallagher sheds light on the mystery presented in the second line. She connects her identity as a woman with the household tasks she feels compelled to undertake. At first glance, it appears that the speaker engages in cleaning and laundry to keep herself occupied, preventing her from succumbing to oppressive moods. While this interpretation may hold some truth, as physical activity can alleviate certain depressive symptoms, is this all that Gallagher intends to convey? Or is there an element of irony in her words? Through irony, she may be attempting to deceive herself. One might use busy work to avoid deep thoughts, but eventually, fatigue sets in, forcing one to pause. Gallagher understands this because, as a poet, she frequently writes about her experiences. Although she might experience a temporary creative block, it doesn't mean she has stopped reflecting. Writing and contemplation are integral to her life as a poet, and all other activities serve merely as distractions. No matter how occupied she remains, she remains aware of why she focuses on life's trivial details.
Lines 4-6
In line four, the imagery returns to the clothing the speaker is folding. This is not just any piece of laundry; it is his shirt, which symbolizes him. It retains his scent and the memory of his form, and after his death, it represents him in spirit. Readers can imagine the speaker's gaze as she looks at the shirt, her eyes seeing beyond the fabric, buttons, collar, and sleeves. This imagery also suggests how she handles the shirt, as if it were alive. She writes: "I bring the arms of his shirt / together." This line break presents a dual image. Initially, it seems she is folding the shirt, but Gallagher infuses this action with deeper significance. Is she merely folding the shirt, or is she wrapping its arms around herself, as if embracing him? The subsequent phrase, "Nothing can stop / our tenderness," suggests...
(This entire section contains 1203 words.)
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that the speaker may have physically wrapped the shirt's arms around her or, at the very least, considered doing so, recalling how he once wore it while embracing her. The "nothing" she mentions could imply that even death cannot separate them. The earlier use of "together" underscores their bond, both in life and beyond.
Lines 7
In these lines, Gallagher seems to contradict herself. She states, "I'll get back to being / a woman," yet earlier in line two, she mentioned she was "still a woman." Is she confused? Perhaps not. Maybe she is attempting to reassure herself. It's clear she is grappling with this concept. Did losing the man she loved through death strip away a fundamental part of her identity? She recognizes that her ability to express herself through poetry has been affected, indicating that death has taken away at least one core aspect of her self-perception.
With poetry gone, what else might have been lost? The speaker briefly touches on this issue, as if she's only slightly aware of the complexities of her loss. It's not just that a loved one is gone; parts of her are missing too. She acknowledges this but avoids dwelling on it for too long. The prospect is too daunting in the early stages of her grief. Her emotions are too raw, and she is preoccupied with coping with his absence. She isn't ready to confront all the missing pieces of her identity. During such intense times, emotions can fluctuate unpredictably. At the poem's start, she might have felt more resilient. As she began doing the laundry, she might have viewed the clothes merely as fabric. But perhaps when she picked up his shirt, her confidence faltered. All the memories and pain surged back, leading her to question if she could truly claim she was "still a woman."
Lines 8-10
"But for now / there's a shirt," Gallagher writes, drawing readers back to the poem's opening line. She shifts the focus away from memories of the shirt's former owner, treating it as just an item in need of washing and folding. Then, she introduces a new layer of meaning. The shirt is described as "a giant shirt," emphasizing its size. Why mention this? While Carver was a large man, the description suggests something deeper. By highlighting the shirt's vastness, Gallagher may be expressing the magnitude of her grief and the profound sense of loss. She ends line ten with the image of a "small girl," contrasting the shirt's enormity with the girl's tiny stature. This also contrasts the earlier exploration of womanhood with the imagery of a child. Through this, Gallagher reveals her inner turmoil. Though she is an adult woman, she feels like a child in this moment—bewildered and scared. She feels fragile and, thus, vulnerable. Just as the small girl is overpowered by the large shirt, the speaker feels overwhelmed by her emotions.
Lines 11-12
In the poem's final two lines, Gallagher creates a layered image. The small girl is depicted "standing next to her mother," suggesting she is observing her mother doing laundry and folding clothes. However, this interpretation is too simplistic for these concluding lines. The child represents the speaker, who feels childlike and may seek solace from her mother, who might have also experienced the loss of her husband. This is hinted at in the poem. The mother has endured something that has imbued her with a strength the speaker hopes to learn from. If the speaker feels she has lost her sense of "being a woman," it is natural for her to turn to her mother, the first woman she ever knew.