Miranda Schaffer

AP Lit & Comp

Mrs. Rutan
10/1/2014

Nature of Love

Breaking him out of the nightmare

A warm touch of a mothers hand, resting upon his tiny head
No more monsters, no more fear
The clock slowly ticks on, all is quiet once more

Standing in a lonely doorway

The soft caress of a dear friends hand upon her back
The tears keep flowing, the rain keeps pouring
But the soul is lifted

Teen angst manifests itself upon a rooftop

The words dance around on the frigid autumn air like a wild animal set free once more
A nave hand points toward the moon
Is He up there? Watching?

Commotion in a grey alleyway

A man and woman grapple and scream
A battered wife collapses, and a dominant husband rises as strong and glaring as the sun
He approaches her once again
A hard, tattooed fist from a kind stranger interjects itself
The oppressor and the oppressed separated at last
Shots fired into the night
The saviors blood is spilled upon the ground once more
But goodness persists

A firm hand grips her soft, delicate face

Lips pursed and emotions gnarled, he pulls her closer
Awaiting rejection he pauses, she receives
Fireworks light up the spirit
A kiss
My poem is about five types of love. I chose to not rhyme my poem because it takes away from
the organic feeling of love. Rhymes sometimes sound too meticulous, ordered and processed to
harness a feeling so innately ground into the human spirit. My stanzas are great dividers, each
one giving you a vague story of love. My poem is somewhat vague so the reader could draw
personal experiences and feelings into it, but also structured enough so the reader can follow the
themes. I also included a hand into each story, the hand being a symbol of love.

I.

My first stanza is based upon a parental love. A parents hand is very soothing, a
nonverbal form of everything will be okay. The child in this stanza has had a bad
dream and his mother is there to protect and comfort him. It has been said that a
parents love of their child is perhaps the greatest and most enduring, so it was a
good choice for an opener.

II.

The second stanza shows a platonic love and the power of friendship. Sometimes a
dear friend cannot change what has happened to you, or what is happening; the rain
will keep pouring. That being said, someone who cares can make all the difference.
Friends being there for each other is a loving act in itself. I found this stanza to be
very relatable.

III.

This third type of love I chronicled is often overlooked. It is understanding; someone

willing to listen to all your hopes, fears, wishes, and dreams. Feeling completely
comfortable to open your soul with another individual and peer inside. I used the
example of a couple of teens laying on a rooftop in the early morning hours because
this is a type of love not many can provide, but some teenagers really need. They just

need someone to listen, rationalize things, theorize, and question existentialism or

anything else. Adolescents are often attempting to figure themselves out, but
sometimes need a little help. I used The words dance around on the frigid autumn
air like a wild animal set free once more as imagery for seeing your breath.

IV.

The fourth stanza would be the high point of the poem. It is representative of the
kindness of strangers and unconditional love of goodness and empathy. I said the
hand that broke up the attack was tattooed because sometimes goodness comes
from where we least expect it. It violates the expectation that the stranger breaking
them up is a clean cut do-gooder. I also made an allusion to the bible saying the
saviors blood is spilled like Jesus. The stranger also functions as a Christ figure,
dying for someone he did not personally know out of innate goodness.

V.

I saved romantic love for last because it is the most clich among other reasons. It is
about a timid couples first kiss, and all the thought behind it. Romantic love
requires you to put a lot on the line for an uncertain return. I also made this stanza
last because it provides closure to the poem and gives the reader a nice note to end
upon.