Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Loss of Love" is a poem by Countee Cullen, first published in 1925 in his collection "Color." The poem explores the theme of lost love and the pain and sadness that accompany it.

Explanation:

The poem describes the speaker's experience of losing a love that was once cherished. The speaker reflects on the pain and sadness that come with this loss, as well as the sense of emptiness and longing that it creates. The poem describes the speaker's attempts to move on from the loss, but ultimately concludes with an acknowledgement that the pain of lost love remains.

Poetic Elements:

• Form: The poem is written in free verse, with no set rhyme scheme or meter. The lines are of varying length and follow a loose structure.
• Theme: The poem explores the theme of lost love and the pain and sadness that accompany it.
• Imagery: The poem uses vivid imagery to convey the sense of emptiness and longing that come with the loss of love.
• Tone: The tone of the poem is melancholic and reflective, as the speaker reflects on the pain and sadness of lost love.
• Sound: The poem makes use of repetition, with the phrase "lost love" repeated throughout the poem. The use of alliteration and assonance creates a sense of musicality and movement.
• Language: The language of the poem is accessible and straightforward, with a focus on concrete details and sensory experience.
• Figurative language: The poem uses metaphor, such as the metaphor of a "voice that would shatter glass" to convey the intensity and power of the lost love.
• Structure: The poem is divided into three stanzas, each of which explores a different aspect of the loss of love and the speaker's attempts to move on.
• Symbolism: The references to the lost love serve as symbolic representations of the pain and sadness of lost relationships.
• Emotion: The poem conveys a sense of melancholy and reflection, as the speaker reflects on the pain and sadness of lost love.

Conclusion:

"Loss of Love" is a powerful and reflective poem that explores the pain and sadness of lost love. Through the use of vivid imagery, metaphor, and repetition, Countee Cullen captures the intensity and complexity of the emotions that come with the loss of a cherished love.

POEM TEXT:

I have lost

Beauty and her lover,

And both are what I cannot love.

Smiles I have kissed,

Lips I have known,

And hands that touch me,

Are now outworn.

I have lost

Crimson and gold,

And silken coverings,

But not the old

Old scars that love

Carved in my heart,

Making it warm

To another's part.

I have tried

To join with the rest,

To forget the past,

But nothing is best.

They know not

How true love burns,

Nor its fire that stings

And returns.

I have lost

Much, but not all;

For a voice that would shatter glass

Still echoes within my heart's wall.

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...