Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Juana Inesde la Cruz's "On the Contraries of Love" is a riveting exploration of the complexities and contradictions inherent in love, delivered through the voice of a speaker caught between competing affections. This 17th-century nun and self-taught scholar, often described as a proto-feminist, was a prolific writer whose work often delved into the themes of love, desire, and societal expectations for women. In this sonnet, she grapples with the painful ironies that come with love's capricious nature.

The poem opens with a dramatic juxtaposition: one man loves the speaker, though she spurns him, while another, whom she desires, remains indifferent to her affection. "To double torment thus doth pride beguile," she says, acknowledging the cruel irony that she herself is both a perpetrator and a victim of unrequited love. The expression "double torment" amplifies the complexity of her emotional state, echoing the title's focus on the 'contraries' of love.

The middle stanzas explore the moral and social repercussions of her predicament. She risks being deemed "vile" by the one she desires, while her "gentler swain" waits in the wings, his patience being wasted. The line "I waste the patience of a gentler swain" reveals a sense of guilt and accountability for squandering the genuine affection she receives. At the same time, she recognizes her "wanton stain" in dismissing the one who truly honors her. The conflict is not just emotional but ethical, entwining matters of the heart with questions of right and wrong.

Her conflict further intensifies as she navigates the fine line between societal judgment and personal morality, fearing "despite to my good fame." The speaker confronts her "needless shame," which manifests in both her vanity and her conscience. In doing so, she indicates a struggle that is as much internal as it is external: the discord between her emotional impulses and the societal expectations that inform her sense of shame and propriety.

The poem closes with an unequivocal self-indictment. The speaker confesses her guilt towards both men, identifying herself as the source of her own misery as well as theirs. Her concluding lInes- "For shame! to court a light-love's woeful name, And leave an earnest lover to despair" - are a lament for her own misguided actions and a meditation on the agonies she has inflicted on others.

Juana Inesde la Cruz's "On the Contraries of Love" is a poignant exploration of the intricacies of love and the ethical quandaries it often presents. Rich in emotional depth and moral complexity, the poem captures the universal human experience of love's contradictions, illustrating how easily we can become both victims and perpetrators in the cruel games that love plays. The poem serves as an introspective mirror, reflecting the entangled emotions and moral dilemmas that often accompany love's unpredictable course.

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