It is as if someone is punching him continuously forcing all the air out of his lungs. He cannot talk, but only stare; like words are for children at a time like this. For the first time in this poem we have come across an adult scene, it seems that that adult thing to do is to not say anything and savour the moment.
But there is another way of showing your feelings to someone; mental emotion is another powerful way of getting the message across and Lord Byron’s poem ‘When We Two Parted’, displays this well.
Byron’s poem, in comparison to ‘First Love’, is a lot different as there is not as much physical description, but a lot more emotional feeling. ‘First Love’ expresses mostly physical feelings, it also expresses the feelings of the characters thoroughly and so does ‘When We Two Parted’, maybe they are similar because they are both from a man’s point of view. This poem gives the reader the impression that it is more an adult poem than ‘First Love’.
“I hear thy name spoken, and share in its shame.”
It uses much more grown up words and the whole infrastructure of the poem is so much more sophisticated. Simply using more advanced words and sentences makes the poem more interesting to read, but at the same time just as easy to follow as ‘First love’.
‘First Love’ is based on young people; therefore the language is not as grown up. Byron goes into great detail as to how the characters are feeling and how they unlock their hidden sorrows. The technique he uses is very exposed and his feelings are quickly explained to the reader. The emotional expression is strong and powerful and the use of similes emphasises this. This poem is about grieving and loss where as ‘First love’ is about actual love. Yet both poems show that love is always painful and will come as a shock.
Two other poems that are also about love and loss are A Woman to Her Lover’ by Christina Walsh, and ‘My Last Duchess’ by Robert Browning.
Walsh’s poem is perhaps the most poetic of the five other poems that I have looked at. Unlike ‘First love’ and ‘When We Two Parted’ this poem uses a mix of describing physical and mental emotions.
“Than gratify your clamorous desire, my skin soft only for your fond caresses.”
Maybe the usage of both types of description is due to the poem coming from a woman’s point of view as opposed to a man’s. Walsh almost dresses up her point of view and shrouds her views in and amongst lines. This gives a solid block foundation to the poem, which makes the reader take more of an interest in the following lines. Co-equal love is the point of this poem; Walsh has led the way in describing the feelings of women around the world. If men and women want an equal relationship, then the women have to be treated as they would wish to be. In a way Walsh is trying to tackle discrimination like some of U.A Fanthorpes poems.
‘My Last Duchess’ by Robert Browning is more psychotic where as Walsh’s is not. It is about a man that has a painting of his ‘last duchess’ on the wall. However, he will not let anyone see the painting, except if he shows it to them. The type of language that is used expresses to the reader that he is unnaturally possessed by love.
“Will’t please you sit and look at her? I said
‘Fra Pandolf’ by design, for never read
Strangers like you that pictured countenance,”
Notice how he uses ‘her’, he is almost commanding the visitors to sit down and look! He does not give the person he is talking to, a chance to reply, this monologue shows his madness. He seems not to have any emotions, and he sheds no tears over the loss of his Duchess. So from breaking the surface of this poem you can see that there is no emotion in what is happening or indeed in what is being said. My ‘Last Duchess’ is in total contrast to ‘A Woman To Her Lover’. Obviously it is from a woman’s point of view, but the way the poem is written is hugely different. ‘A Woman To Her Lover’ goes into more emotion and both physical and mental feelings.
‘Then O husband, I am yours forever, and our co-equal love will make the stars to laugh with joy’.
This sentence is not just to her husband, but it is to the future as well, this sentence shows both types of feelings. This poem is totally different to “My Last Duchess”, the way it written is different, but it’s the context which is so strikingly different.
‘Villegiature’ is by Edith Nesbitt. The title ‘Villegiature’ means a romantic stay in a villa in the country. Already the scene has been set for the poem and we have only just read the title.
“My window, framed in pear tree bloom, White-curtained shone, and softly lighted:”
The beautiful setting and the patterns of syllables almost relaxes the reader into the romance of the poem. I think ‘First Love’ is the only other poem that perhaps uses this technique to its full potential, involving the reader in the poem. I really like the sensory description throughout the poem, which lets the reader know everything about the setting and to some extent how the characters are feeling. The poem shows that it was not about a happy relationship between the two characters, or a friendly or sad parting as in ‘When We Two Parted’.
The end of the poem is very much contrasted to the start of the poem. The relaxation and lack of tension is broken and.
“Remember how you always bore me!”
This startles the reader as much as the author; she has realized her boredom with this man. It is like she has woken up from her own little world to realize this. This technique of using contrasting scenes really empathises what is going on in the poem. In a way this poem is about loss and regret, for the lady has lost the attention of her lover and is probably regretting her interest in him. This poem is almost the odd one out, as Edith has a very different method of showing the feelings of the characters, and releases the most important part right at the end.
All the poems I have looked at have been very good at getting the author’s point across to the reader. These five poems show an eclectic mix of different types of structure, and technique. Some of these poems are written in a similar way but then we see others which are totally contradictory.
A good poem is not always about the technique, similes and alliteration for example. It is also about honest writing. Honest writing is the most powerful and thought provoking way of them all, this gives a very successful love poem as result.
Jack Wetherbee
10 B