WRT 101 Poetry Analysis Paper: The Poem “To One Away” By Sara Teasdale

Poetry Analysis Paper Name Institution Poetry Analysis Paper For over a long time the subject of love has interested quite a number of individuals. Love is regarded as the highest emotion that only those involved can fully describe. Often different factors drive this love and sometimes even lust can be mistaken as love. Poetry however has provided an avenue through which the world understands and interprets this unique emotion with all its complexities. Sara Teasdale’s “To One Away”, “The Kiss”, “After Love”, and Leigh Hunt`s “Jenny Kissed Me” are some of the poems that address the theme of love. Through the poems the feelings associated with love such as nostalgia and satisfaction are shown. However, the path of love is not always straight, as disappointments are bound to happen along the way. In this regard, the poems also show the disappointing side of love. The poem “To One Away” by Sara Teasdale speaks about a nostalgic lover. As the title suggests the poem is about two loves that are separated by distance and neither of them can stand the thought of the other being so far away. The description of the distance is that of a thousand miles away and even at this great distance, the persona can still hear her lover crying and calling for her. In the last line, the persona acknowledges that she identifies with the same feeling as she says, “I know, I know.” (line 8). The poem has a regular rhyme scheme, which is easily predictable. The ending words in the first line and that in the third line rhyme. The second line and the fourth lines rhyme, the fifth line rhymes with the seventh and the sixth and eighth lines also rhyme. The poet has intentionally used this regular rhyme to give the poem some musicality through which we can feel the intended emotions of the poem. The poem has used a simile in the third line, “Sharp as a flash of light.” (3). The lover`s cry is likened to the sharpness of a flash of light to emphasize the intensity of the longing. Repetition is also evident in the poem in the fourth and eighth lines. The persona says “My name, My name” (4)/ “I know, I know” (8). Both lines emphasize that the persona is aware of how much her lover misses her as she too feels the same way. In Leigh Hunt`s “Jenny Kissed Me” the poem talks about the joys and excitement of being kissed by a lover or a crush. As seen from the poem it is evident that the persona’s life was always a load of misery. It is as if he had nothing to smile about given his poor state and health. All this change when he meets his love Jenny and by her kiss his life seems to get back on track. There is no doubt that both are excited about this meeting as in the second line Jenny is seen “Jumping from the chair she sat in” (line 2). The persona on his side insists on the fact that Jenny kissed him. Compared to the first poem by Sara Teasdale, in this poem the feeling can be said to be mutual as the response from both sides is seen. The difference however, is that unlike the first case which involved tears due to the intensity of longing for each other, Leigh Hunt`s poem ends in happiness as there is an apparent satisfaction from the meeting. The poem has used a metaphor “time you thief” (3). In this case, the persona is lamenting about all the years he thinks time has taken away from him. He mockingly dares time to add this one good fortune to its list as it was only used to recording his ill luck. There is repetition in the last stanza as the persona says “Say I`m weary, say I`m sad” (line 5)/ “say I`m growing old... “ (7). The persona in this case stresses the fact that anyone can make any perceptions about him but one fact remains true to him, that he was kissed by Jenny. In the third poem “The Kiss” by Sara Teasdale the poet presents a case whereby the dreams of the persona about her lover are shattered. Her expectations are not met by her new lover whom she had placed so much confidence and hope in. The first line speaks of this strong hope as the persona mentions “I hoped that he would love me.”(1). However, all this ch...