In the opening lines of Barbarese's evocative poem "Walk Your Body Down," the narrator deftly transports us to the bustling heart of urban life. Without explicitly addressing a crowd, the narrator immerses himself among strangers, whose expressions reveal their discontent. Amidst this sea of unknown faces, the narrator senses the heated exchange of a nearby couple, guessing that they might be at the brink of parting ways.

The narrative scene is painted further with images of a ramp, a lone figure navigating the street, and the somber metaphor of "caskets of neighborhoods," each element weaving the fabric of city life. Through these vivid details, the poet reflects on the paradox of urban existence: the physical closeness of individuals in the city juxtaposed with their emotional detachment and isolation.

Isolation in Imagery

Throughout this poem, an overwhelming sense of solitude and detachment saturates the narrative. Initially, the distance is underscored by the separation of two individuals seated beside the narrator. Moreover, the unattended baby perched on a ramp further symbolizes personal isolation. A ramp is neither a destination nor a starting point; it serves as a bridge uniting disparate levels. The imagery of the ramp echoes with "where the babies go up and down / like physics experiments," suggesting the emotional upheavals that life presents. The baby, motionless and marooned on the ramp, finds itself cut off from the surrounding adults.

Isolation in Urban Spaces

Further along, the poem introduces another vivid image of isolation, that of a solitary man amidst the street. While others traverse the sidewalks or navigate their vehicles, this man's presence in the street transforms it into a theatrical platform. Immersed in his world, his solitude is palpable yet not necessarily portrayed in a negative light, though it remains, undeniably, a solitude.

Isolation in Metaphors

The phrase “caskets of neighborhoods” intensifies the sense of separation. Caskets are solitary containers, designed for a single occupant. They epitomize ultimate separation, sealing the lifeless body within. Although the term “neighborhoods” suggests gatherings of many, juxtaposed with “caskets,” it conjures an image not of mingling, but of individuals stacked, each encapsulated in their own compartmentalized existence.

Isolation in Language

The poem uses specific phrases that resonate with loneliness and solitude, such as "his aloneness at home here" and "alone as earth or air." Yet, the concluding line attempts to offer a glimmer of hope against the theme of isolation: the narrator implores, "don’t let it [the body] go it alone."

References to Death

The specter of death first emerges in the poem’s second stanza, where the observer watches a man stride confidently down the street, describing his steps as "proudly into the twilight." Here, "twilight" is a metaphor for the end of life, the dimming light before darkness envelops all. The "budded arrangement of sun and cloud" paints an image evocative of floral tributes typically gracing a coffin, subtly alluding to mortality.

This impression deepens with the narrator’s subsequent mention of "caskets." As the stanza concludes, there's a vivid metaphor of the "moment when the mind leaves the curb in its black cab," with "leaves" serving as a euphemism for death, and the "black cab" evoking the somber image of a hearse. As the poem unfolds into the third stanza, it depicts the dissolution of conversations and people, mirroring the fragmentation experienced at the brink of death, as life's connections unravel and memories drift away.

Then, a poignant contrast arises as the narrator notes that only infants continue their joyful tunes during this passage; their innocence shields them with the illusion of immortality. In stark contrast, adults possess the sobering awareness...