In “Commitments,” the speaker begins with the announcement "I will always be there", and yet later he says "I am the invisible son.” How can these two statements be reconciled?
I believe the juxtaposition of these two statements reveals that although the author is present in family photos and gatherings, he is “the invisible son” because he is either not recognized or not accepted for what he truly is; thus, while he is physically present, he must uphold a commitment, or “serve [his] duty”, to retain the image of so-called normalcy for his family. Overall, the poem conveys the author’s feelings of pain and repression due to the fact that although he “will always be there,” his family members do not extend a hand in the same manner, likely because of his sexuality.
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