Despair
One of the poem's major thematic threads is despair. When the speaker asks his friend what to do about the darkness surrounding them, he is clearly uncertain of how to be in the world. He goes on to ask if there is even a point in acting against it at all. While he does not specify exactly what the darkness is, it is clear he feels there is a void in his everyday life. In the poem, the "darkness" surrounding them is a kind of general despair, a sense that things are not right in the world. The speaker is in despair because while he sees this problem, because it is so large and general he doesn't see a way to act against it. The poem explores the way in which despair forms a looming sense of foreboding, becoming something too large to break down concretely.
Materialism
Another main theme of the poem is materialism. Expressing doubt about the state of the world, the speaker wonders if he just needs to buy a large automobile to tamp down his existential worries. His friend tells him to just drive and focus on the road. For the speaker's friend, the answer to this despair about the world is simply to focus on the concrete. In this way, the poem shows how material things can be used to stave off bigger concerns. The speaker's comments and the friend's response suggest that he can avoid all of these weighty questions by focusing on the car. Creeley appears to be making a more general comment about this way of thinking. The poem uses materialism to reveal how prevalent this sentiment can become in the face of existential concerns.
Communication
One of the poem's most obvious themes is communication, or the lack thereof. The poem frames a dialogue between the speaker and his friend. The speaker expresses a deeply held concern about the "darkness" in the world. His friend merely tells him to watch the road. They are almost comically mismatched in their points of view. The speaker wants to better understand how to fight against the things in the world that cause him despair, and is unsure if material possessions, like a luxury car, will quell these worries. His friend tells him to just drive and watch where he's going. He believes this basic action will allow him to shift focus from these larger questions. His final comment to the speaker about watching the road has a double effect. It is a reminder to focus on the concrete things in life as well as a humorous note about the speaker being distracted by his worries to the point of driving badly. The poem is about a failure to communicate, as demonstrated in a conversation where the two participants have fully missed each other's points.
