A Review of Peter Meinke’s “Untitled
In Peter Meinke’s untitled poem the speaker tells a guilt-laden apology for having broken his son’s spirit which had damaged his core sense of self-worth. Within the lines depicting the speaker’s abusiveness toward his child, this dedication leaves behind reasoning for the reader, his son, to consider. In the end, it seems as though “Untitled” claims two victims: the ten-year old boy, and the father. The result is what any sincere apology seeks after: forgiveness.
The speaker begins the first two lines by addressing his son but more importantly, acknowledging the scope of pain that he has caused: “whom I have hurt a thousand times” (line 2). Meinke also paints a pathetic image of the boy with words such as “vulnerable”, “boneless in despair”, “pale…back, bent in defeat”, and “frail confidence”, emphasizing the child’s learned helplessness (lines 3, 6, 7, and 10). However, we hear a failing subtle tone explaining that his actions were committed by his “failure to understand” and through his own “weakness and impatience” (lines 8, 9, and 10). He identifies with his son by admitting the turmoil he feels from his own mistakes.
Meinke further demonstrates the speaker’s deep regret by contrasting this ugly illustration of weakness against his son’s great value and worth, and his failure as a father to instill these messages in him:
I thought you knew
you were beautiful and fair
your bright eyes and hair
but now i see that no one knows that
about himself, but must be told
and retold until it takes hold (lines 13-18).
The speaker realizes here that because of his ignorance, his child lost hopes of esteeming himself for how precious he really is. The unstable rhythm in these lines offers both the boy’s uncertainty of his worth, and the anxiety of a father who had massively overestimated his son’s resilience.
Peter Meinke’s use of confessional style poetry and the delicate nature of the topic itself elicit a confusing sympathy for the aggressor; a phenomenon typically dynamic in abuse. Portrayed in the lines of “Untitled” are such a wretched sense of guilt, that the reader is able to see the speaker in the same light as his subject: a victim. Of course, the degree of pain which the father has caused his son does not betray how much he loves him and yearns for forgiveness. He closes, again as a dedication, by saying “so I write this for life, for love, for you, my oldest son…” in lines 21 and 22. These elements mix to reinforce the speaker’s unending remorse and desire to be forgiven, to which the reader would most likely surrender….”bent in defeat”.
Works Cited
Meinke, Peter. “Untitled.” Poetry: An Introduction. Ed. Michael Meyer. 6th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s. 2010, 89. Print.
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