Answers by Mark Strand

Answers by Mark Strand

Why did you travel?
Because the house was cold.
Why did you travel?
Because it is what I have always done between sunset and sunrise.
What did you wear?
I wore a blue suit, a white shirt, yellow tie, and yellow socks.
What did you wear?
I wore nothing. A scarf of pain kept me warm.
Who did you sleep with?
I slept with a different woman each night.
Who did you sleep with?
I slept alone. I have always slept alone.
Why did you lie to me?
I always thought I told the truth.
Why did you lie to me?
Because the truth lies like nothing else and I love the truth.
Why are you going?
Because nothing means much to me anymore.
Why are you going?
I don't know. I have never known.
How long shall I wait for you?
Do not wait for me. I am tired and I want to lie down.
Are you tired and do you want to lie down?
Yes, I am tired and I want to lie down. 

 Strand uses constant repetition to  stress the erosion of the speaker. Everytime he is asked a question he first gives an easy answer, but when asked again gives the depressing and valid answer. He is obviously experiencing something horrible, and uses a "scarf of pain" to keep himself warm. This is perhaps because of a romantic mishap, given that he first tries to brag about sleeping with woman but finally reveals he slept alone every night. As the questions continue to penetrate the speaker and tire him, readers feel like anxiety and weariness he feels. By the end he is so exhausted from the questions and answers that he must lay down, which is intriguing given he is trying to leave to go somewhere else. He is a bit of a nomad, unsure of where he wants to go. This relays back to the poem "Keeping Things Whole", where the speaker is constantly moving in hopes of not disrupting others for too long. Perhaps this is how the speaker within this poem feels as well, as though he must constantly be moving in order to not disrupt the lives of people around him. However, once asked to express himself and delve into his problems, he is so exhausted by it he stops moving for a second to ponder.