The Partial Explanation

If “The Partial Explanation” were compared to a work of art, it might be American artist Edward Hopper’s very famous “Nighthawks” (1942), a painting which depicts people sitting in a diner, together but also very much alone. The perspective is from outside the diner, looking in. In the case of “The Partial Explanation,” the speaker is inside, but perpetually aware of the cold street, bereft of passer-by, and of their own loneliness.

The need to eat universally human; it is a drive that must be appeased on a regular basis. Most cities, both in the U.S. and elsewhere, have a plethora of “[g]rimy little luncheonette[s]” (Line 3)—little dives serving inexpensive soup, sandwiches, and coffee. Ostensibly, these places are intended for a quick bite. However, as the reader of “The Partial Explanation” and an observer of “Nighthawks” can surmise, diners are also a place where people convene, and wait, and pass the time—both alone and in company. Diners are places to be alone in company too, as a place where one can be amongst others, but bear no responsibility for interacting with them unless they choose to do so. There is no imperative to interact, only an abstract opportunity if one wishes.

The “[g]rimy little luncheonette” (Line 3) is an interesting choice of setting for a poem about loneliness.