Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Linda Gregg's poem "She Had Expected Something Else" explores the complex and often surprising nature of love through vivid imagery and evocative language. The poem's narrative delves into the protagonist's preconceptions of love and how her actual experiences deviate from those expectations, leading to a deeper understanding of love's multifaceted essence.

The opening line, "Love aroused her like a heifer / in the presence of a bull," immediately sets a visceral and somewhat primal tone for the poem. This comparison to a heifer suggests a raw, almost instinctual reaction to love, highlighting the physical and uncontrollable aspects of attraction. The protagonist's expectation of something else underscores a tension between her romantic ideals and the reality of her emotions.

As the poem progresses, Gregg contrasts the protagonist's initial expectations with her lived experiences. She had envisioned the "invisible" manifesting as "night, or the taste / of air off the sea," suggesting a desire for love to be an ethereal, almost mystical force. This imagery evokes a sense of yearning for something profound and transcendent, a love that envelops her senses and transports her to a different realm.

The lines "She felt it / wading through wildflowers / on a hillside, in the whinnying / of horses and the smell / of their sweat on her jeans" bring the protagonist's experience of love back to the tangible and sensory world. Here, love is intertwined with nature and physical sensations, grounding it in the earthy and immediate rather than the abstract and distant. The use of specific details, such as the "smell of their sweat on her jeans," adds a layer of intimacy and realism to the portrayal of love.

Gregg further explores the theme of love as an engine that drives and sustains the protagonist. The metaphor of love as an engine "that kept her awake" suggests an underlying restlessness and constant motion, emphasizing the energizing yet exhausting nature of deep emotions. This portrayal of love as both a source of vitality and a force that disrupts sleep speaks to its dual nature: simultaneously life-affirming and demanding.

The final lines, "something striding across waves / in the dark. Something sending her / from Batu to Prambanan," encapsulate the transformative and far-reaching power of love. The image of "something striding across waves / in the dark" evokes a sense of mystery and strength, as if love possesses an unstoppable momentum. The reference to Batu and Prambanan, places likely significant to the protagonist's journey, hints at love's ability to propel her across distances, both physical and emotional.

In "She Had Expected Something Else," Linda Gregg masterfully captures the unexpected and multifaceted nature of love. Through rich, sensory imagery and a narrative that contrasts expectation with reality, the poem delves into the ways love can surprise, challenge, and ultimately transform us. The protagonist's journey reflects a universal experience: the realization that love, in all its complexity, often defies our preconceived notions, leading us to a deeper, more authentic understanding of ourselves and our emotions.

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