R&WP Assignment One: One Page Analysis of “A Poem to Be Read at 3AM”

“A Poem to Be Read at 3 A.M.” by Donald Justice continually proves to be one of my most beloved and most influential poems. I first came in contact with this poem in my junior year of high school. It was assigned by my AP Language teacher as a part of the postmodern poetry unit. The poem wrestles with themes of loneliness, the search for community, modern lifestyles, ennui and the impact of memory.

Before my 11th grade English class, poetry often seemed frivolous and even ridiculous. While this poem was not the one that aided the transformation of my hatred for poetry into a passion for poetry, it was the most memorable. The poem’s themes of loneliness yet, unspoken communal bond is highlighted by noting that the town the narrator is driving through is “dark but for my headlights” and goes on to describe the only other sources of light as the “diner on the outskirts” and “a single light” in a room. The tone reflects an initial emotion of loneliness by stating the time “3 A.M.” and emphasizing throughout the poem the vast, blackness of a small town at night while simultaneously presenting the existence of unspoken and often unknown societal constructs (i.e. insomniacs/night owls). In addition to using rhetoric to enhancing the emotions of the driver (and possibly even the person with the light on in Ladora), the poem’s format and style help to paint a picture of fleeting thoughts and momentary appreciation for the simple memories of times in which hope and benevolence  is injected into melancholy thinking.

Although this poem has many important and impactful traits, Justice’s ability to  convey various complex, stimulating concepts and provoke thoughts on seemingly minute and insignificant tableaux in less than 60 words is truly a masterful feat.

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