Self-assessment is a pervasive theme in the works of Robinson Jeffers. He constantly looks at himself in his own poetry, analyzing, explaining, and defending his work, and the work of the poet in general. At times he takes it upon himself to speak for all writers, as in ôLeave Them Alone.ö At times he speaks only for himself, describing his vocation in prophetic terms, as in ôApology for Bad Dreams.ö The poem ôSecond-Bestö is midway between these two points-of-view. Jeffers is clearly referring to his own work in the poem, while at the same time decreeing a general attitude for writers and for those who read them. He suggests an ideal relationship between reader and writer, not just between himself and his readers. This serves him well in defining his own poetic philosophy, but it also presumes an over-reaching knowledge of the writing vocation. Some writers are not meant to be read as Jeffers would have them be read.
The major theme of the poem is the difference between action and reaction, between being news and writing news, between driving and looking at maps. This is a fertile ground for exploring the nature of writing and the purpose it serves. Jeffers begins the poem with a list of masculine, violent images:
A Celtic spearman forcing the cromlech-builderÆs brown daughter;
Building his farm outside the village heÆd burned (1-4).
He concludes by comparing them to the nameless poet, only a ômaker of verses.ö Such comparison immediately creates in the reader the impression of true life being expressed through violent acts and the sheltered life of the writer to be somehow less. Indeed, a few lines later, Jeffers refers to ôThe pallid pursuit of the worldÆs beauty on paper (11-12). It would be ridiculous to assume, though, that Jeffers is calling for the worldÆs poets to put away their pens and begin to rape and pillage so that they might be more ôalive.ö Still, he asserts
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