The Ups and Downs of Love

The Ups And Downs of Love
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<br>Love is a constant. Although it comes in many forms and many different ways love cannot be changed and has existed since the dawn of time. No matter where you are in the world, love is still the same thing, it is universal and is experienced by everyone in their lifetime. Poetry has been used for centuries to express feelings and emotions and is the most effective way to express love. Poets have been able to show all aspects of love, the ups and the downs throughout time.
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<br>"Lucy Poems" by William Wordsworth, portray both sides of love in his "Lucy Poems". He describes the contrasting feelings that come with love both the, brilliant ups of being in love when the poet describes his love for Lucy, and the deep depressing loss of losing a loved one. Wordsworth is was one of the first romantic poets, having a new, modern approach towards poetry which in his time was unheard of, he felt poetry should be about emotions and feelings, it shouldn't be inhibited or stifled by politics or city social life and this is reflected in all of his poems. "She Dwelt Among Untrodden Ways" is the last in the "Lucy Poems Series" in which Lucy dies. The poet describes Lucy as A Maid whom there were none to praise ; And very few to love" and that "She lived unknown" however, despite the fact that she was not renowned, he still felt great loss and grief over her death, which is a sign of true love. Wordsworth says "But she is in her grave, and oh, The difference to me!" and his life would never be the same after this one single event.
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<br>Robert Browning with "Porphyria's Lover" shows another side of love, desire and how quickly this desire can lead to madness. The poem is written in a more methodical, less emotional manner, being a characteristic of the Victorian Era in which Browning was writing. It tells the story of Porphyria who returns home to her love. Browning has portrayed a very different mindset in this poem, with the subject of the poem not being in a secure frame of mind, but on the edge of insanity. Porphyria worshipped him and he thought of he obviously felt the same emotions towards her
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<br>"Porphyria worshiped me: surprise
<br>Made my heart swell, and still it grew"
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<br>However, his actions do not correspond to love in a traditional sense in the paragraph:
<br>"While I debated what to do.
<br>That moment she was mine, mine, fair,
<br>Perfectly pure and good"
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<br>He is not content with the feeling of love that is occurring and wants to take it to another level. He ends her life by "Three times her little throat around, And strangled her." He then kisses her and holds her in embrace and feels that he has gotten away with his crime "And yet God has not said a word!"
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<br>Wendy Cope, renowned for her satirical view of life shows another aspect of love. It describes how easily a casual fling can turn into true love, although things do not always go to plan. The poet made it clear when she said "I warned you this was just a fling And one day I'd desert you" However, she saw all the good points of the man "So kindly…So solidl….So manly" and eventually "grew to like you more and more." Her warnings at the start quickly come back to haunt her when the course of love doesn't run her way and with her plans in anguish she finds that the man didn't love her back. The poem shows a turn back towards emotions, an advantage that the Modern Era has over the style of the Victorian Era as well as a rhyming scheme, which is somewhat uncharacteristic of the Modern era.
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<br>Another modern poem of similar style is A Day Too Late by Sophie Hannah. The poem expresses the feelings of destest and hatred which can also accompany love. Hannah expresses what may have been a personal experience for her, that of finding out that the person you love is actually driving you insane. It has a constant rhyming pattern. The poem clearly displays that love can change, that the "hero" that you fell in love with can quickly revert to a "wholly unattractive creep". Although the man is giving all his love to the woman with his "his love, his kindness, his persistence" his love is one sided and not returned.
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<br>"I.O.U One Galaxy" is also a modern poem, however it takes a different form being a song by American punk band, The Ataris. Songs are a different way of performing poetry and are able to bring it to different audiences. The writer, Kris Roe, compares his love to a "star" with her being "brightest one shining in my sky". The poet expresses in the line "Will you be my best friend, If I offer you my heart?" his opinion that in order to be lovers, you must first be true friends. The poem is characteristic of the Modern Era of poetry, lacking a rhyming structure, which is an unusual characteristic for a song. It also incorporates the feeling that you'll give anything for the one you love. This is symbolised by both the title and the lines "Gave you this I.O.U today. It said good for one galaxy" which tells us that the poet would give the galaxy for his love.
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<br>Although love is a constant, poetry is ever changing and evolving and the opinions and emotions shared by today's poets are a portal into the changing views on love.