"Directive." Shmoopers, if ever there was a straightforward title, this is it. "Directive," as it happens, is filled with directives, or instructions for the reader. This poem tells us
- where to go
- what to do
- what to imagine
- what to look for
- how to feel
and more. Think of it as a step-by-step to-do list on your journey to salvation. If we follow the speaker's directives, we'll wind up drinking unpurified water from a random broken goblet, and somehow, that will solve all our problems. Yep. That's really how it goes down.
Simple Is As Simple Does
What's cool about this title is how totally simple it is—in a poem that's anything but. In many ways, "Directive" is a celebration of simplicity in the face of complexity. It champions the children who can be pleased with nothing but a few dishes as playthings. It's all about traveling back in a time to a place and a memory with less detail, more purity. The simple, one-word title hammers that point home. This poem isn't called "A Bunch of Things You Can Do To Heal Your Soul." It's called "Directive." You've got to dig in to find out where those directives will lead you.