Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Title: Lost Love Author: Andrew Lang

Provenance Andrew Lang was a Scottish scholar and poet. He was known for his translations of classical texts, his historical work, his collections of fairy tales, and his poetry. Lang was born in 1844 and died in 1912. This poem, "Lost Love," appears to be a reflection on the fleeting nature of love and the permanence of memory.

Theme Analysis

"Lost Love" explores themes of love, loss, time, memory, and idealization.

Love and Loss: The paradox of gaining by losing and losing by gaining permeates the poem, hinting at the inevitable presence of loss in love. The poet seems to suggest that even when love is achieved, it is fleeting and subject to the decay of time.

Time and Aging: The poem contrasts the physical reality of aging ("The dust of time that stains her, The griefs that leave her gray") with the timeless beauty preserved in memory and dreams. Time appears as a destructive force, but it is also what allows for the preservation of idealized beauty in memory.

Memory and Idealization: The speaker suggests that memory and dreams allow one to keep an idealized image of a loved one, unmarred by time or change. In this way, loss becomes a kind of gain as the loved one is immortalized in their best form.

Reality vs. Dream: The poem continually contrasts the physical, earthly experience of love with the idealized, dreamlike memory of love. While physical love is shown to decay and lose its charm, love in dreams remains eternally beautiful and young.

Poetic Devices

Paradox: The poem begins with a paradox: "Who wins his love shall lose her, / Who loses her shall gain." This sets up the theme of love and loss and the complex, often contradictory nature of these experiences.

Repetition: Repetition is used effectively to underscore the theme of loss and time's passage. Phrases like "loses her," "gains her," and "stains her" reinforce the cycles of love, loss, and the march of time.

Rhyme: The rhyme scheme in each stanza is ABABAB. This creates a distinct sonic pattern in each stanza, allowing for both connection and resolution in the poetic thoughts.

Imagery: Lang uses evocative imagery ("The dust of time that stains her, / The griefs that leave her gray") to convey the physical aging process and the fading of beauty over time.

Symbolism: Lang employs symbolism with "the dust of time," suggesting not just literal dust but the metaphorical accumulation of years and experiences that can cloud and alter the freshness and vibrancy of youthful love.

Contrast: The poet utilizes contrast effectively, juxtaposing the physical aging process with the timeless beauty preserved in dreams and memory.

In conclusion, "Lost Love" by Andrew Lang is a poignant exploration of the complex interplay of love, loss, and memory. By examining the paradoxes inherent in these experiences, Lang suggests that while love may be transient, the memories and idealized images we preserve offer a kind of immortality that defies the passage of time.

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...