Lines 1–3

The diminutive poem “In the Suburbs” grapples with an expansive theme. Its title immediately reveals its focus. Suburban life in America carries a dual identity: while some view it as a peaceful escape from the cacophony and chaos of urban existence, others deride it for fostering sameness, traditionalism, and a plodding mediocrity. In the opening stanza, the narrator embraces the latter perspective, portraying the suburbs as a confining trap. The tone is sharp and accusatory, likening suburban life to the mundane existence of the middle class, both deemed pointless by the speaker. The pivotal term here is "born," insinuating an inevitable fate, devoid of choice, and following a predetermined trajectory. By employing "you," Simpson crafts a dialogue with another facet of himself, a technique commonly found in modern poetry.

The notion of an inherited, immutable lifestyle resonates with the principles of naturalism, a literary movement from the nineteenth century birthed from the doctrines of Charles Darwin and Sigmund Freud. Naturalists, akin to realists, depict the tangible world, meticulously highlighting the constraints that curb human ambition or volition, such as nature, hereditary traits, or economic circumstances. Writers like Stephen Crane and Theodore Dreiser exemplify this American naturalism. Within Simpson’s verses, these influences are subtly woven rather than overtly stated.

Lines 4–6

The next stanza picks up and completes the third sentence of the initial stanza. By extending the sentence into this section, Simpson underscores the theme of "procession" introduced in line five. A procession conjures an image of individuals advancing in a structured and orderly fashion. The term also evokes ritual, captured vividly in the depiction of people on their way to church.

This concluding image holds the key to the poem's essence. Associating suburban, middle-class existence with church attendance aligns with the norms of early 1960s America when Simpson penned his verses. Yet, there is an undercurrent of irony in his tone. By adopting a sacred emblem to depict suburban life, Simpson suggests that these individuals revere their lifestyle, despite their impotence to alter it and, as he insinuates, their obliviousness to its impact.