Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

LOVE LETTER FROM AN IMPOSSIBLE LAND, by WILLIAM MEREDITH Poet Analysis Poet's Biography

"Love Letter from an Impossible Land" is a poem by William Meredith, an American poet who served as Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 1978 to 1980. The poem was first published in 1970 and explores the idea of love across vast distances.

Explanation:

The poem takes the form of a love letter addressed to someone in a distant and impossible land, with the speaker expressing their love and longing for the recipient. The speaker describes their yearning to be close to the recipient, to touch them and hold them, despite the vast distances that separate them.

Throughout the poem, Meredith uses a range of poetic devices to create a sense of the speaker's emotional state, including vivid imagery, metaphor, and repetition. The poem is characterized by a sense of yearning and longing, as the speaker struggles to bridge the divide between themselves and their beloved.

Poetic Elements:

Form: "Love Letter from an Impossible Land" is a free-verse poem with no consistent rhyme scheme or meter.
Imagery: The poem is full of vivid sensory images, particularly in its depiction of the speaker's longing for the recipient.
Metaphor: The poem employs a number of metaphors to describe the speaker's emotional state and the vast distances that separate them from their beloved.
Repetition: The poem makes use of repetition to create a sense of rhythm and musicality, as well as to emphasize key ideas.
Tone: The poem is characterized by a tone of longing and yearning, as the speaker struggles to bridge the divide between themselves and their beloved.

Conclusion:

"Love Letter from an Impossible Land" is a powerful and moving poem that explores the complexities of love across vast distances. Through his use of vivid imagery, metaphor, and repetition, Meredith creates a sense of the speaker's emotional state, conveying their longing and yearning for the recipient. Ultimately, the poem is a testament to the enduring power of love, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

Poem Snippet:

"Love, I know your name.

It is not the moon, the stars, or the distant light.

It is a new word, which has not been spoken yet,

A word you must teach me before I learn to die."