“Driving to Town Late to Mail a Letter”

“Driving to Town Late to Mail a Letter” by Robert Bly uses imagery combined with a comforted tone to convey the feeling of being happy and alone. “A cold and snowy night” is reminiscent of one’s childhood and curling up in front of the fireplace with hot chocolate and feeling extremely cozy safe from the outside. However, not only does the speaker feel safe, he also acknowledges the harsh reality of the “cold metal” which is not only cold and unforgiving but it will also attach itself to one’s tongue. The speaker talks about his “privacy” that he “loves” which is a very intimate word. He is saying that he is adores the familiarity that comes with being alone with his thoughts. Robert Bly ends the poem saying that not only does the speaker love being alone, he will go out of his way to be alone for longer. This poem clearly shows the feeling of being happy and alone by describing the intimacy and safety of one’s own thoughts through imagery.