Analysis Of Marilyn Hacker's Villanelle For D. G. B

Ever-Changing Love

In Marilyn Hacker’s “Villanelle for D.G.B” the speaker describes an ever changing relationship full of lust, passion, and physicality. Love is elusive, it is natural to be confused or intimidated by it. Also, it is human nature to have trouble separating love, lust, and intimacy. This common issue is illustrated well by Hacker. It is easy to assume that this poem is simply about an exclusively lust filled, shallow relationship between the speaker and the auditor. However, after closer analysis, one can see that the speaker yearns for a deeper relationship with the auditor. The speaker begins the poem being content with this exclusively physically intimate relationship, but grows to want a deeper more emotionally fulfilling

relationship because she realizes she cannot control her ever present feelings of love instead of solely initial lust.
At the beginning of this poem, the speaker expresses contentment with her lust filled relationship but also recognizes that it is void of emotional connection.

Hacker describes a lighthearted connection between two individuals that is extremely physically intimate and exciting, but lacks emotional connection. Although the speaker recognizes the lack of emotions associated with this relationship, she is content with this situation. Marilyn Hacker plays with enjambment to illustrate visually this separation between these two individuals. Using this literary device, the breaks and interruptions of sentences causes the reader to be pulled into her world, feeling the jarring, yet intoxicating separation the speaker feels.Next, the speaker says she is often “dazed” (2). The usage of this word denotes imagery of being dazzled and stunned by light. The obvious positive nature of this word shows how happy the speaker is in this relationship at this point in time. The duo is described as feeling “speechless and amazed” (5). These words imply a very exciting new relationship. They are so enamored with the physical part of their encounters that they have no words to be said, and no words need to be said. This ineffability implies a relationship that does not grow emotionally, but strictly physically. For two parties to be emotionally invested in each other they must appreciate each other's personalities. This is not something that is currently present in the pair described in the poem. The speaker also tells the reader that she is filled with wonder and astonishment. These positive adjectives tell us that at this point in time, the speaker is in fact happy and content with her current

situation.
As the poem develops the speaker comes to realize that she wants a deeper relationship with the auditor, because she no longer knows how to separate the physical from the emotional. We see the poem change and develop into a darker, more jarring reality. Even the choice of the type of poem demonstrates how the speaker comes to feel about this relationship. Naturally the repetition of key lines in villanelles creates the illusion of an endless, extremely dizzying cycle. As the speaker comes to realize what she truly wants she states that “[she] is afraid” (8). This statement is the first point in the poem she expresses any negative views toward her situation. This is the turn of the poem, when the speaker first starts to recognize her feelings for the auditor. This villanelle starts the first two stanzas with overwhelmingly positive imagery but promptly switches to a darker tone with this statement. In the final line of the poem, Hacker breaks the pattern for villanelles and says, “Every day we separate” (19). Instead of “Every day our bodies separate” which would continue the pattern correctly. The speaker substitutes these words to show how her feelings have progressed throughout the poem. Instead of just the pair physically separating, they now separate emotionally as well. This shows that the speaker has in fact developed deeper feelings for the auditor that go past physical lust. At this point in the poem the speaker cannot differentiate her feelings for her partner. Her emotions have merged into a single entity as the usage of “we” instead of “our bodies” suggests.
“Villanelle for D.G.B” by Marilyn Hacker is a commentary on love and its ever-changing nature. This poem describes a new love grown from purely physical lust. In this villanelle we see a deep existential struggle of feelings as the speaker begins to realize her true feelings toward her partner. In this poem, the speaker transitions from having shallow meaningless feelings of lust to deep, emotionally fulfilling emotions toward her partner.