"The Language" is yet another example of Robert Creeley at his most mimimalist yet expressive. I think it's particularly interesting to compare this poem to "A Token", another of Creeley's works which addresses the inadequacy of language to express certain sentiments, especially when confronted with the enormity of love. Whereas here the poet ironically asserts that "Words/ say everything", in the other poem he laments the fact that all he can say to his lady are words, "as if all/ worlds were there." As with all of Creeley's poetry, the line breaks and pauses in between stanzas of "The Language" and "A Token" are as critical as the words themselves.
Locate I
love you some-
where in
teeth and
eyes, bite
it but
take care not
to hurt, you
want so
much so
little. Words
say everything.
I
love you
again,
then what
is emptiness
for. To
fill, fill,
I heard words
and words full
of holes
aching. Speech
is a mouth.
—Robert Creeley