Theories of Time and Space

“Theories of Time and Space” reflects upon the nature of human reality and the passage of time; in the poem, Trethewey poses this question: If places and people familiar in memory are constantly changing over time, can we ever really return “home”? In fact, what exactly is “home,” when places are constantly changing over time? Who are “you,” if “you” is ever changing? Trethewey’s “Theories of Time and Space” speculates as to the fluid nature of identity and place. As the speaker journeys to their hometown of Gulfport, Mississippi, the trail is at once familiar—and also not: “Everywhere you go will be somewhere / you’ve never been” (Lines 3-4). Although the speaker describes a route “home” that is obviously familiar to them in some way, the implication is that the road traversed is never the same road. Landmarks change, the person making the journey changes and is therefore no longer the same person who made the journey the first time, and the place itself—home in this case—once found, will also not really be “home” as it was.

The main theme of “Theories of Time and Space” is revealed at the opening of the poem: “You can get there from here, though / there’s no going home” (Lines 1-2).