Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Jorge Luis Borges' "English Poem: 2" is a deeply introspective and poignant declaration of love that reveals the speaker's vulnerability, sincerity, and the rawness of his emotions. The poem is a mixture of confessional offering and existential reflection, where the speaker presents not material gifts, but the essence of his being—his past, his experiences, his flaws, and his deepest emotions—as tokens of his love. Through this candid portrayal, Borges explores the themes of love, identity, and the human condition.

The poem opens with the direct and almost desperate question, "What can I hold you with?" This line immediately sets the tone of the poem, conveying the speaker's uncertainty and the profound sense of inadequacy he feels in trying to express his love. He acknowledges that he has little to offer in terms of conventional gifts or assurances, but instead offers "lean streets, desperate sunsets, the moon of the ragged suburbs." These images evoke a sense of desolation and melancholy, suggesting that what the speaker has to offer is not wealth or comfort, but the stark reality of his world—a world marked by loneliness and longing.

Borges continues to reveal more of the speaker's inner world: "I offer you the bitterness of a man who has looked long and long at the lonely moon." This image captures the speaker's deep sense of isolation and his introspective nature. The moon, often a symbol of beauty and inspiration, is here associated with bitterness and solitude, reflecting the speaker's prolonged contemplation of his own loneliness.

The poem then shifts to a more historical and personal reflection, as the speaker offers "my ancestors, my dead men, the ghosts that living men have honoured in marble." Borges evokes the memory of his forebears, recounting stories of bravery and sacrifice—his father's father "killed in the frontier of Buenos Aires," his mother's grandfather leading a charge in Peru. These ancestral stories serve as both a legacy and a burden, connecting the speaker to a past filled with violence and loss. By offering these memories, the speaker is sharing the weight of his history and the ghosts that haunt him.

Borges moves from the past to the present, offering "whatever insight my books may hold, whatever manliness or humour my life." This line suggests that the speaker's life has been shaped by intellectual pursuits and personal experiences, yet he is aware of the limitations of these qualities in the face of love. The speaker then paradoxically offers "the loyalty of a man who has never been loyal," acknowledging his own flaws and contradictions. This self-awareness adds a layer of complexity to the speaker's character, as he admits to his past failures while expressing a desire to be different in the context of this relationship.

The most profound offering comes in the form of "that kernel of myself that I have saved, somehow—the central heart that deals not in words, traffics not with dreams and is untouched by time, by joy, by adversities." Here, the speaker offers the deepest part of his being, something pure and untouched by the external world. This "central heart" represents the essence of his identity, the part of him that remains steadfast despite the passage of time and the trials of life. It is the core of his existence, something that he has protected and now offers as the most valuable part of himself.

Borges then shifts to a more abstract and poetic offering: "I offer you the memory of a yellow rose seen at sunset, years before you were born." This line encapsulates the idea of timeless beauty and the lasting impact of certain memories. The yellow rose, seen at sunset, is a symbol of fleeting yet enduring beauty, something that the speaker has carried with him for years and now shares as a part of his love.

The speaker goes on to offer "explanations of yourself, theories about yourself, authentic and surprising news of yourself." This offering suggests a deep desire to understand and connect with the beloved on a profound level, to offer insights that might reveal something new or unexpected about themselves. The speaker is not just offering his own understanding, but is also inviting the beloved to see themselves through his eyes.

The poem concludes with a series of stark and poignant declarations: "I can give you my loneliness, my darkness, the hunger of my heart; I am trying to bribe you with uncertainty, with danger, with defeat." These final lines encapsulate the speaker's raw and unfiltered emotions, as he offers his love in all its imperfection and vulnerability. The use of the word "bribe" suggests a recognition of the speaker's inadequacy, as if he is aware that what he has to offer may not be enough, but it is all he has. The offerings of "loneliness," "darkness," and "hunger" are not typically associated with love, yet they are honest reflections of the speaker's inner world, revealing the depth of his longing and the intensity of his feelings.

"English Poem: 2" is a powerful exploration of the complexities of love and the human condition. Borges masterfully captures the vulnerability and sincerity that come with offering oneself to another, not with grand gestures, but with the truth of one's existence—flaws, history, emotions, and all. The poem invites readers to consider the nature of love and the ways in which we offer ourselves to others, recognizing that the most meaningful gifts are often those that come from the heart's deepest recesses, unadorned and unpretentious. Through his evocative language and introspective tone, Borges presents a vision of love that is both raw and profoundly human.

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