Analysis Of Amy Lowell's Poem A Decade

Analysis of Amy Lowell’s Poem “A Decade';

In “A Decade,'; a poem by Amy Lowell, the reader is shown how a lover’s attitude can go from infatuation at first to just predictability and love. In this poem Lowell uses imagery and similes to elaborate on the feelings of the speaker towards his/her lover. In the beginning of the relationship the speaker is infatuated with the lover, and Lowell expresses this infatuation through the use of a simile in line one when comparing the lover to “red wine and honey';. As the relationship goes on deeper into the decade a comparison between the lover and “morning bread'; is made in line three, showing the reader that instead of being like “red wine and honey'; in the beginning, which burnt the speaker’s mouth with sweetness, now the lover is perceived as being “smooth and pleasant';.

The speaker of the poem could either be male or female, who is in love with someone and has been with that person for a decade. The speaker is telling the one that he/she loves how the feelings have gone from just being infatuated with them to being “nourished'; by them. The tone of the poem is hard to describe; it is actually the “lovey dovey'; feeling that should come to the reader while reading this poem. The poem has no set rhyme scheme, and is six lines long in one stanza.

Following, is my paraphrase of the poem.

When we first met you were sharp and sweet

And when we kissed it burnt my mouth because I wanted you so.

Now that it has been a few years you are still pleasant and smooth.

I really don’t pay attention to how you taste, now I know you too well.

You complete me.

Thorne 3

In the poem “A Decade'; by Amy Lowell, she tells the reader how feelings go from being wild and crazy to being second nature to the speaker.