Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Why We Shouldn't Write Love Poems, or If We Must, Why We Shouldn't Publish Them" by Beth Ann Fennelly is a candid and self-reflective piece that critiques the act of writing and publishing love poems. The poem uses humor and a conversational tone to explore the pitfalls of memorializing love in poetry, highlighting the inevitable changes in relationships and the often embarrassing aftermath of publicly sharing intimate emotions.

The poem opens with a somewhat irreverent reference to Robert Lowell, a renowned poet known for his confessional style and complex personal life. Fennelly finds Lowell's love poems in a Norton anthology amusingly quaint and slightly ridiculous, as they detail his relationships with various women, including his second wife who "simmered like a wasp" and his third, metaphorically described as "the dolphin who saved him." The mention of "Skunk Hour," a poem addressed to fellow poet Elizabeth Bishop, humorously notes Lowell's unreciprocated romantic interest in her, as she was a lesbian. This collection of love poems is likened to a "ten-page manic zoo of love," suggesting an overwhelming and chaotic array of emotions and relationships. The speaker concludes that Lowell would have been better off channeling his affections towards something more constant, like a dog, which symbolizes loyalty and uncomplicated companionship.

The poem shifts to a broader commentary on the nature of love poems. The speaker suggests that writing love poems is a common reaction to falling in love, akin to the impulsive act of "fumbling for a pen." However, she likens sending these poems out into the world to the efforts of Jehovah's Witnesses, implying a fervent yet often unwelcome outreach. The inevitable return of these poems, like rejected proselytizers, to find "the locks changed, FOR SALE stabbed in the yard," symbolizes the end of relationships and the awkwardness of revisiting publicly declared love that no longer exists. The neighbors' gloating over this misfortune adds to the embarrassment, reinforcing the idea that love poems, once made public, become vulnerable to the scrutiny and judgment of others.

Fennelly advises writing about subjects that are less likely to change, such as "volleyball, Styrofoam, or mildew," rather than the fleeting and often tumultuous nature of romantic love. This advice reflects a desire for stability and predictability in writing, avoiding the emotional volatility associated with love poems.

The poem transitions to a vivid personal memory of a picnic in Alabama, where the speaker and her partner enjoy a meal of crawfish seasoned with an excessive amount of crab boil. The sensory details of the experience, including the red-clay earth, the fire ants, and the taste and texture of the crawfish, create a rich and intimate setting. The description of the speaker's lover's "spicy, burning fingers" finding her "sweet meat" is both sensual and metaphorically linked to the experience of eating the spicy crawfish, suggesting a moment of intense passion and physical intimacy.

Despite the intensity of the memory, the speaker expresses a reluctance to immortalize it in a poem. She acknowledges her own vulnerability, saying "Ah, poem, I am weak from love," and warns the poem itself not to "return home to shame me." This ending underscores the poem's central theme: the fear that personal and intimate moments, once captured in writing and shared with the world, may come back to haunt the poet, especially when the emotions they depict have faded or changed.

"Why We Shouldn't Write Love Poems, or If We Must, Why We Shouldn't Publish Them" is a thoughtful exploration of the risks and rewards of writing about love. It reflects on the impermanence of relationships and the potential for embarrassment in publicly sharing deeply personal experiences. Fennelly's use of humor, vivid imagery, and candid self-reflection makes this poem a compelling meditation on the complexities of love and the pitfalls of confessional poetry.

Copyright (c) 2025 PoetryExplorer

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...