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LOVING YOU IN FLEMISH, by             Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography


"Loving You in Flemish" by Laure-Anne Bosselaar is a richly textured poem that delves into the depths of language, culture, and sensuality, inviting the reader into an intimate exploration of love expressed through the Flemish tongue. Bosselaar's use of vivid imagery and linguistic nuance captures the essence of Flemish culture, history, and landscape, weaving them into a tapestry of desire and connection.

The poem begins with an invitation to experience love in the speaker's native language, described as "heavy as Percheron hooves on fields lying fallow and humming with rain." This imagery evokes the physicality and earthiness of Flemish, grounding the language in the natural and agricultural landscapes of Flanders. The mention of rain-soaked fields with their "rich and dark loam steaming" sets a sensual and fertile backdrop for the poem.

Bosselaar introduces references to famous Flemish painters, Memling and Bruegel, to further immerse the reader in the cultural and aesthetic heritage of Flanders. The comparison of Flemish words to "canals gliding among willows and yews, green as Memling's velvets or Bruegel's mossy farm roofs" paints the language as a living, moving entity, full of color and texture. The mention of "Angry clappers on Belfry bronze, or moaning tugboat sirens" brings in auditory elements, adding to the poem's sensory richness.

The poem then transitions into a more intimate exploration of the language's flavors and sounds, with the speaker's tongue described as "salty shrimp-bitter with chocolate and beer." This juxtaposition of tastes—ranging from the brininess of shrimp to the bitterness of chocolate and the distinct flavors of Trappist and Devil ales—captures the complexity and variety of experiences that Flemish can convey.

Bosselaar ventures into the urban landscape of Antwerp, invoking the "blue Antwerp alleys" and their inhabitants with a history of longing and desire. The reference to women who "lust from the sea" and are "too hungry for one sailor only" adds a layer of raw, unbridled passion to the poem, suggesting the language's capacity to express deep, multifaceted desires.

The poem concludes with a stanza in Flemish, inviting the beloved to wander the streets of Antwerp at night, to embrace the sounds of the city, and to experience love without restraint or concern for material wealth. This direct use of Flemish serves as a culmination of the poem's exploration of language as a vehicle for love, connection, and sensuality. The translation of this stanza reveals an invitation to lose oneself in the pleasures of the night, in a world illuminated by moonlight and filled with the promise of love and generosity.

"Loving You in Flemish" is a celebration of language's power to convey the richness of human experience, to connect us to our cultural roots, and to express the deepest emotions of the heart. Through her evocative use of imagery, cultural references, and linguistic play, Laure-Anne Bosselaar offers a profound and sensual ode to love, language, and the Flemish heritage.

POEM TEXT: https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Hour_Between_Dog_and_Wolf/DS1aDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Let+me+love+you+in+my+tongue+tonight%22+BY+Bosselaar,&pg=PT90&printsec=frontcover


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