Love,
a noun - alias substantive,
indeed substantive,
in the singular form,
neither feminine nor masculine,
etymologically defenceless.
In the plural form
defenceless loves.
Fear,
a common noun,
at first in the singular form
and then in the plural:
fears.
Fears
of everything from now on.
Memory,
the first name of sorrows,
in the singular form,
only in the singular
and with no inflection.
The memory, the memory, the memory.
Night,
a common noun,
etymologically feminine,
in the singular form.
In the plural form
the nights.
The nights from now on.
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Personal notes:
This poem was published as part of the collection 'The little of the world' (1971).
The poem's tone is didactic and playful - the poet is delivering a 'lesson' in grammar, describing how different words can be categorised (in parts of speech) or inflected based on their gender and number. These grammatical functions are significant to the poem's meaning. They emphasise the experience and effect of the poem's key words - love, fear, memory, night.
The poem's main theme is revealed in its first word - 'Love'. Mrs Dimoula's lesson (this poem) is not just about grammar, but also a lesson about love.
She first suggests that the word 'Love' has no gender. In the Greek language, 'Love' is actually etymologically masculine. By stating otherwise, that love is neither masculine nor feminine, Dimoula perhaps suggests that someone's gender may not matter when experiencing love. What matters is that the person who falls in love is defenceless, in all (or most) occasions ('In plural form').
The second 'lesson' is about 'Fear' and love. The source of this fear is not exactly evident in the poem, although one can associate this fear with the defenceless state of being in love. That this fear multiplies over time suggests that the passing of time can deteriorate love. Love is defenceless over time.
The 'lesson' about 'Memory' and love is an interesting one - Dimoula here suggests that love is associated with one single and very strong memory (the past) that is inflexible and unchangeable. This state of the past is in contrast to what is happening at present and what will happen in the future. Dimoula suggests that memories and the past are important when being in love, perhaps because they are the only constant part of it. They are also an act of desperation, of holding onto something when everything is changing or deteriorating.
The last 'lesson', about 'Night' and love, binds together the previous arguments - the fear that love will deteriorate defenselessly haunts the nights of the person in love, forever.
a noun - alias substantive,
indeed substantive,
in the singular form,
neither feminine nor masculine,
etymologically defenceless.
In the plural form
defenceless loves.
Fear,
a common noun,
at first in the singular form
and then in the plural:
fears.
Fears
of everything from now on.
Memory,
the first name of sorrows,
in the singular form,
only in the singular
and with no inflection.
The memory, the memory, the memory.
Night,
a common noun,
etymologically feminine,
in the singular form.
In the plural form
the nights.
The nights from now on.
---------------------------------------------
Personal notes:
This poem was published as part of the collection 'The little of the world' (1971).
The poem's tone is didactic and playful - the poet is delivering a 'lesson' in grammar, describing how different words can be categorised (in parts of speech) or inflected based on their gender and number. These grammatical functions are significant to the poem's meaning. They emphasise the experience and effect of the poem's key words - love, fear, memory, night.
The poem's main theme is revealed in its first word - 'Love'. Mrs Dimoula's lesson (this poem) is not just about grammar, but also a lesson about love.
She first suggests that the word 'Love' has no gender. In the Greek language, 'Love' is actually etymologically masculine. By stating otherwise, that love is neither masculine nor feminine, Dimoula perhaps suggests that someone's gender may not matter when experiencing love. What matters is that the person who falls in love is defenceless, in all (or most) occasions ('In plural form').
The second 'lesson' is about 'Fear' and love. The source of this fear is not exactly evident in the poem, although one can associate this fear with the defenceless state of being in love. That this fear multiplies over time suggests that the passing of time can deteriorate love. Love is defenceless over time.
The 'lesson' about 'Memory' and love is an interesting one - Dimoula here suggests that love is associated with one single and very strong memory (the past) that is inflexible and unchangeable. This state of the past is in contrast to what is happening at present and what will happen in the future. Dimoula suggests that memories and the past are important when being in love, perhaps because they are the only constant part of it. They are also an act of desperation, of holding onto something when everything is changing or deteriorating.
The last 'lesson', about 'Night' and love, binds together the previous arguments - the fear that love will deteriorate defenselessly haunts the nights of the person in love, forever.
Striking poem and cool notes. At first it seems unique because of the style, but then the subject matter and themes are common across her works.
ReplyDeleteThanks especially for including the gender context for 'love'which is particularly pertinent to English speakers for whom this does not naturally register!