GOSSIP FROM THE GIRLFRIEND GATHERINGS
Learning from YOU to empower ME !
The gold moth did not love him
So, gorgeous, she flew away.
But the gray moth circled the flame
Until the break of day.
And then, with wings like a dead desire,
She fell, fire-caught, into the flame.
This poem tells us that sometimes the love we search for comes from an unexpected source.
The journey of the gray moth is moving as she patiently gives all for love.
I really like this one.
QUESTION(S):
Have you ever felt like the gray moth?
If I should sing
All of my songs for you
And you would not listen to them,
If I should build
All of my dream houses for you
And you would never live in them,
If I should give
All of my hopes to you
And you would laugh and say: I do not care,
Still I would give you my love
Which is more than my songs,
More than any houses of dreams,
Or dreams of houses —
I would still give you my love
Though you never looked at me
This poem is clearly about unrequited love from the point of view of the rejected lover. An example of this in the Greek tragedies is the story of Echo and Narcissus which you can read about by clicking the link below:
(http://myths.e2bn.org/mythsandlegends/userstory948-story-of-echo-and-narcissus.html)
Another example in classic fiction is Heathcliff and Isabella in Wuthering Heights which is one of my favorite stories depicting the complexities of LOVE.
QUESTION(S):
What are your thoughts about this poem?
Love is like dew
On lilacs at dawn
Comes the swift sun
And the dew is gone.
Love is like star-light
In the sky at morn
Star-light that dies
When day is born.
Love is like perfume
In the heart of a rose
The flower withers
The perfume goes
Love is no more
Than the breath of a rose,
No more
Than the breath of a rose.
The poet is telling us that love is beautiful yet very fragile and fleeting. Perhaps this type of love has contributed to our high divorce rate.
QUESTION(S):
What do you think about this depiction of love?
Love
Is a ripe plum
Growing on a purple tree.
Taste it once
And the spell of its enchantment
Will never let you be.
Love
Is a bright star
Glowing in far Southern skies.
Look too hard
And its burning flame
Will always hurt your eyes.
Love
Is a high mountain
Stark in a windy sky.
If you
Would never lose your breath
Do not climb too high.
COMMENTS:
This poem is clearly about an addictive love. We are warned about being blinded by it and the pain of looking at it too closely. We are warned about the possibility of it becoming all-consuming and uncontrollable.
QUESTION(S):
What are your thoughts about this poem?
Have you ever known or witnessed this type of emotion?
February is the month we celebrate Love and African-American History. So, I am going to be creative and fuse the two topics into my blog posts this month. I will celebrate with the love poems of a great African-American poet, novelist, columnist, playwright, and social activist, Langston Hughes.
A year ago, I purchased the book “The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes” but have not had the opportunity to delve into it. Now, I can devote this month to do so and share with you. Let’s explore together what he has to say about that wonderful and perplexing human emotion – LOVE.
Read more about Langston Hughes here: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langston_Hughes)
