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Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | |||
The opening line introduces a scenario of departure, with Louise addressing someone "who'd been left behind." This sets the tone for a poem that grapples with the distances—both literal and metaphorical—that define our interactions with others. The reference to the city's weather as "unlucky in cloudy and chance of" immediately situates the narrative in a space of uncertainty and unpredictability, mirroring the complexities of human emotions and relationships. The mention of routing the enemy and following a route, alongside the question about the significance of a mall opening, juxtaposes the mundane with the strategic, highlighting the often arbitrary ways in which we assign meaning to our actions and the events around us. The characters' decision to "get away to nature" as a form of diffidence suggests a desire to escape the confines of constructed environments and social expectations, seeking authenticity in a return to the natural world. Ham's assertion that "Every avenue...still ends at perception" speaks to the limitations of human understanding and the subjective nature of reality. Louise's reflection on the moment of action—or inaction—and the potential for missed opportunities underscores the poem's exploration of choice, consequence, and the paths not taken. Louise's appearance in a "wig and suit of blue serge" and the comparison to a symphony "written in the alphabet soup of C and B-neath" adds a layer of disguise and performance to the narrative, suggesting the roles we play and the identities we construct in our attempts to navigate the world and our relationships within it. The imagery of the road as "a ribbon on the bright canyon bed" and the description of the house "lit like a candle-house cake" contribute to the poem's surreal and dreamlike quality. These scenes blur the boundaries between reality and imagination, between the tangible and the conceptual. The conversation between Ham and Louise at the poem's conclusion, with Ham's hope for a fire station in the forest and Louise's questioning of what forest he refers to, encapsulates the poem's central concerns with perception, reality, and the human propensity to seek safety and certainty in an inherently uncertain world. Louise's final statement about the "fantastic sea where nothing but nothing can save us" suggests a recognition of life's inherent unpredictability and the futility of seeking absolutes in an ever-changing landscape. Through its intricate imagery, "Kiss, Kiss, Said Louise by Way of a Pay Phone" invites readers to reflect on the ways in which we seek connection, meaning, and understanding in a world characterized by ambiguity and transformation. Mary Jo Bang's poem is a rich and layered exploration of the human condition, challenging us to embrace the complexities and contradictions that define our existence. POEM TEXT: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Louise_in_Love/T5AGZgFIZ-AC?q=&gbpv=1#f=false
| Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...SCHOOL AND SCHOOLFELLOWS; FLOREAT ETONA by WINTHROP MACKWORTH PRAED PEARLS OF THE FAITH: 62. AL-MUMIT by EDWIN ARNOLD FRAGMENTS INTENDED FOR DEATH'S JEST-BOOK: MOURNER'S CONSOLED by THOMAS LOVELL BEDDOES SEA-PICTURES; NIGHT NOISES by RICHARD EUGENE BURTON MY DREAM OF DREAMS by ALICE CARY |
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