My dear one hurt me with a broken love,

And just a fragment of was all she left,

To slap me with a duelling glove,

While nothing taken, it was still a theft:

I then penned a poem to bare my pain,

Which crashed at once upon the unwashed floor,

Left without the flavour, like unsteeped grain,

And never shall one read it any more:

It lifted away in an unkempt breeze,

Through an open window onto the street,

And floated up and up into the trees,

Where the nesting love birds are seen to meet:

The love birds care less for my paper rhymes,

Removed by a hand from my beating chest,

They have little care for the New York Times

Lest the page is woven into their nest:

I should wish at very least that my words,

Could make some part, a home for two love birds.

Critique by Alexis Ingram

Title: A Reflection on Loss and Redemption in “I threw away a poem””

This sonnet explores themes of love, loss, and the enduring power of art. Through its Petrarchan structure, the poem navigates the speaker’s emotional journey from heartbreak to a poignant realization of the transformative potential of creativity.

The poem begins with a stark acknowledgment of betrayal and heartache: “My dear one hurt me with a broken love.” This opening line sets the tone for the rest of the sonnet, establishing the central conflict of the speaker’s shattered emotions. The use of “broken love” evokes a sense of fragmentation and incompleteness, highlighting the painful aftermath of a failed relationship.

As the sonnet progresses, the speaker reflects on the aftermath of the breakup, symbolized by the metaphorical image of “just a fragment” left behind by the departing lover. This fragment serves as a potent reminder of the emotional wounds inflicted upon the speaker, likened to a “duelling glove” that strikes with the force of betrayal. Despite the absence of tangible loss, the speaker keenly feels the theft of their emotional well-being, emphasizing the profound impact of the breakup on their psyche.

In response to the pain inflicted by their beloved, the speaker turns to poetry as a means of catharsis and self-expression. They “penned a poem to bare [their] pain,” seeking solace in the act of creation. However, the poem’s fate is cruelly ironic; it “crashed at once upon the unwashed floor,” failing to capture the depth of the speaker’s emotions. The imagery of the poem lying “unsteeped” and devoid of flavor conveys a sense of disappointment and futility, highlighting the inadequacy of art to fully encapsulate the complexities of human experience.

Despite the poem’s initial failure, there is a glimmer of hope in its ultimate fate. Lifted away by an “unkempt breeze,” the poem finds its way into the natural world, where it becomes intertwined with the beauty of nature. The imagery of the poem floating “up and up into the trees,” where “nesting love birds are seen to meet,” suggests a transcendence of earthly pain and a connection to the enduring cycles of life and renewal.

In the final couplet, the speaker reflects on the transformative power of their words, even in the face of indifference from the outside world. While the love birds may “care less for [the speaker’s] paper rhymes,” there is a poignant acknowledgment that art has the potential to find meaning and resonance beyond its creator. The speaker expresses a humble desire for their words to find a home, however small, in the hearts of others, symbolized by the image of a nest for “two love birds.”

Overall, “My Dear One Hurt Me” is a poignant exploration of love, loss, and the redemptive power of art. Through its evocative imagery and introspective tone, the poem offers a nuanced reflection on the enduring nature of human emotions and the transformative potential of creativity.