The Illiterate

The poem begins with the speaker “touching [the] goodness” (Line 1) of another person, whom they begin to talk to in the poem. The physical encounter between them—and its effect on the speaker—feels different. The speaker tries to articulate this emotional experience by comparing themselves to someone who is “illiterate,” an outdated term that defines one who cannot read written words or who is unaware of a certain activity. The speaker cannot yet interpret what this physical encounter with the unidentified addressee means, even though they can label the addressee as having “goodness” (Line 1).

The speaker imagines that they are “a man / [w]ho turns a letter over in his hand” (Line 2). The speaker equates themselves to the unaware individual and their touch of the addressee as a missive to be examined and understood. At first, the speaker says the addressee might assume that “this was because the hand / [w]as unfamiliar” (Lines 3-4), suggesting that the spark created from touch isn’t something previously experienced. However, the speaker suggests it is even deeper than that because “the man / [h]as never had a letter from anyone” (Lines 4-5). Here, it’s clear that the speaker feels they have never been in the presence of someone who has this kind of “goodness” (Line 1) in the entirety of their experience.

That the encounter is exceptional sets up many unknowns for the speaker. Because this experience is completely new, the speaker doesn’t know how to navigate it, which makes him fearful. There is a clear indication that the letter might change everything that has occurred before or reshape the speaker’s relationship not only with the addressee but with themselves. Further, because the speaker has no touchstone for their experience, and because the speaker has a learning disability, he is also “ashamed” (Line 7). Having never considered opening such a letter, they must “find out what it says” (Line 8) by “ask[ing] someone” (Line 8). The speaker implies here that they feel vulnerable, surprised by the situation and what it could bring.

The speaker then imagines what the man might think regarding the various possibilities held within the letter. He could be “rich” (Line 14), learning that “[h]is uncle […] left the farm to him” (Line 9). He could be “orphaned” (Line 14), finding out that “his parents died” (Line 10) before he could send them information. He imagines a “dark girl changed” (Line 11) her mind and now wants him to be her “beloved” (Line 11). These possibilities are varied—either enriching or bereaving—but all are life-changing.

Holding the letter that could change his life, the man is “[a]fraid and letter-proud” (Line 12). Its contents have the potential to obliterate life as he knows it, giving him either terrible news or some miraculous future. Once the letter is opened, he will know for certain what the outcome will be, but for now anything is possible; no wonder he “keeps it with him” (Line 12). In the final two lines, the speaker turns the question of what the man feels back to the speaker: “What would you call his feeling” (Line 13). In this way, the speaker asks the person whose “goodness” (Line 1) they have felt to clarify the initial encounter. Can the speaker safely explore the relationship further, or would it be wiser to remain forever uninformed.