Touch Me by Stanley Kunitz

It tells the story of an old man in his autumn garden who comes to understand that his desire — the yearning to feel, to connect, and to be touched by someone else — is what keeps him alive and engaged with life. The poem concludes with a heartfelt request: touch me, remind me who I am.

The poem was included in his 1995 collection Passing Through: The Later Poems. Kunitz was about 90 years old at the time of its publication, which makes its focus on desire and vitality even more remarkable.

The triple repetition reflects Kunitz's response to his own question — 'What makes the engine go?' He suggests that desire, in its broadest sense (the longing to love, to feel, to be present), is the essential force that sustains a person’s life and humanity. By repeating it three times, he gives it the weight of a declaration rather than just a fleeting thought.

The garden in late summer giving way to fall represents old age: it remains alive and beautiful, yet it's evident that its time is drawing near. Kunitz was an avid gardener in real life, which makes this setting autobiographical — it's not just any literary garden but a specific, cherished spot.

Kunitz suggests that human touch goes beyond mere physical comfort; it serves as a confirmation of identity. When someone reaches out and touches you, they're acknowledging your existence, your significance, and your continued presence in the world. For an elderly person confronting isolation and the reality of death, that affirmation becomes increasingly vital.

The phrase reflects Matthew Arnold's 1852 poem 'The Buried Life,' which explores the profound inner self that many individuals seldom reveal. Kunitz uses this idea to convey that even in advanced old age, the inner life — the aspect that yearns to dance, to love, to feel — remains present, just waiting to be accessed.

It feels tender, honest, and quietly urgent. Kunitz isn’t indulging in self-pity or angrily confronting death — he’s just sharing the reality of what it’s like to be old yet still filled with longing. The mood leans more towards wonder than sorrow.

Both. The desire Kunitz describes encompasses both romantic and physical love, but it goes beyond that—it represents a longing to connect with others and with the living world in general. The poem resonates whether you interpret 'touch' as the touch of a lover or just the touch of anyone who cares.