‘The Portrait’ by Stanley Kunitz is a sad poem about the speaker’s ill-fated attempt to learn more about their deceased father.
This might not be the greatest of Kunitz's poems but its personal nature and heavy subject matter make it a powerfully poignant illustration of grief. Drawing on his own experiences to inform the speaker's yearning to fill the void of their father and their run in with the residual anger their mother still holds onto.
My mother never forgave my father
for killing himself,
especially at such an awkward time
and in a public park,
‘Father and Son’ is a touching expression of a child’s longing for the presence of his deceased father in his life. The poem honors the author’s father and prompts readers to cherish their relationships with loved ones.
This poem conforms to Stanley Kunitz's style of poetry, which portrays the father-son relationship as a recurring theme. Its sentimental description of a child's longing for a deceased father could also be described as Stanley Kunit's most poignant work. The poem accurately reflects Kunitz's determination to address challenging emotional and psychological terrain.
Now in the suburbs and the falling light
I followed him, and now down sandy road
Whiter than bone-dust, through the sweet
Curdle of fields, where the plums
‘Touch Me’ by Stanley Kunitz is a moving poem about aging, the loss of identity, and desire. It explores what keeps people, and creatures of all varieties, going as they enter the final “season” of their life.
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