Two Shots of Valium for Lowell - Memories of West St and Lepke II

This post is part of my poetry analysis on Robert Lowell's Memories of West Street and Lepke, the poem and original post can be found at: http://robertlowellandco.blogspot.com/2009/05/like-arrr-this-poems-about-like-jail.html

In his first verse Lowell creates a relaxed mood. The line; ‘Book-worming, in pyjama’s fresh from the washer each morning’ creates an image of him pottering around his house, reading a
book here and there and generally being catered to his every need. It also indicates that he has a very easy life; in fact, everyone around him has an easy life. This is emphasised by lines three to five ("where even the man, scavenging filth in the back alley trash cans. Has two children, a beach wagon, a helpmate and is a ‘Young Republican").
Lowell also manages to vividly portray his daughters awakening as a harmonious and relaxed event ("Like the sun she rises"). The verse as a whole flows beautifully from one line to the next. There are however tones of cynicism and even a slight apologetic tone which he uses as a segway into the second verse. For example the lines "I hog a whole house on Boston’s, “Hardly Passionate Marlbough Street”" inject the first subtle impressions of cynicism and use of the word hog makes the reader feel that he is sorry for taking up the whole house with just himself and his daughter. He addresses this in his second verse by stating that "I was a fire-breathing Catholic C.O" as if to say 'I haven’t always lived this drudgery, am I better off for that?' which further highlights the musing feel of the poem. This is also compounded by the start of the second verse.
The line "These are the tranquilised fifties" suggests that Lowell is feeling like he has been forced into this tranquil life and in fact the whole country has. This second verse also contains the first use of juxtaposition.

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This paragraph in my poetry analysis is used to highlight the calm beginings of the poem and portray the musing air of the author. It includes various examples of Lowells easy life and point out the first subtle hints of his cynicism. The last sentence is also used as a linking sentence to my next discussion point.