Poetry ANALYSIS - Atharva

Passenger, And I Love Her

She's a whistle on the wind A
A feather on the breeze B
A ripple on the stream /B
She is sunlight on the sea /B
She's a soft summer rain C
Falling gently through the trees /B
And I love her D

She's cunning as a fox E

Clever as a crow F
Solid as a rock /E
She is stubborn as a stone /F
Shes a hardheaded woman G
And the best one that I know /F
And I love her D
Yeah well I love her D

She's as new as the springtime H

Strong as autumn blows F
Warm as the summer D
And soft as the snow F
She's a thousand miles from here I
But she's everywhere I go F
Cuz I love her D

She loves me like a woman G

She looks like a lady J
She laughs like a child K
And cries like a baby J
I think that maybe she's the one that's gonna save me /J
Type of Poem: Ballad/Narrative
Summary: This poem is a highly descriptive narrative in which the singer/narrator thoroughly
describes a woman that he/she is in love with. Throughout the poem we see many literary
devices that are used to describe this ‘lady’.
Rhyme Scheme: A, B, /B, /B, C, /B, D, E, F, /E, /F, G, /F, D, D, H, F, D, F, I, F, D, G, J, K, J, /J.
Point of View (POV): This poem is written in the 1st person point of view. We know this
because throughout this poem, there is a repetition. (E.g. line 7, “And I Love her”). By making
this poem in the first-person perspective, the writer connects with the audience and makes the
poem very relatable, especially by using themes that are related to us human beings in real life
(E.g. Love)
Tone/Mood: The tone of this poem seems very solemn and passional, as the writer consistently
relates the personality of the woman described in the poem to nature. For example, lines 1 and
2, “She’s a whistle on the wind, Feather on a breeze”. By relating the woman’s personality to
the natural elements that exist in nature, the writer uses the tone to emphasize how delicate
and soft this woman’s personality is. On the other hand, the mood is very calm and subtle, as
the music is simply just a guitar playing in the background, without any other
percussion/drumming instruments. By arranging the music in this way, the music composer
eliminates any distractions, and makes the audience just focus on the bare music and lyrics.
Literary Devices:
1. “She is sunlight on the sea” (line 4)
This is an example of a metaphor, as there is a direct comparison between two things
(the lady, and the sunlight). In this metaphor, the writer adds in one more additional
object, which is the sea. By adding this object, the writer emphasizes the importance of
the woman that this sone is about, as sunlight is a commodity whose presence is
essential for life to exist.

2. “She's a thousand miles from here, but she's everywhere I go” (lines 20-21)
This is an example of an oxymoron, as these two sentences contradict each other. The
first line indicates that the lady is extremely far away, but in the second sentence, it is
stated that she is everywhere that the writer goes. It is highly likely that the writer
intended to have these two sentences contradict each other, so that the audience can
have a sense of relatability. The reason for this is because as human beings, there are
some instances in life where our needs are within arm’s reach, but they are never
retrievable.
 3. “I love her” (lines 7, 15, 22)
This is an example of a repetition, as the same phrase is being said repeatedly
throughout the poem. By repeating the same phrase throughout, the writer increases
the chances of the readers remembering the song, which can emphasize the central
message and theme of the poem, which is love.

Themes:
1. Love
This is one of the main themes of the work, as the word is consistently used throughout
the poem in the form of a repetition. This is a very generalized theme, as it is
intertwined with all the other themes of the work (see number 2).

2. Nature
The theme of nature is widely incorporated into this poem, in the form of similes. We
know this because the writer consistently compares the woman in the song to an
element of nature. Examples include: “She's as new as the springtime”, line 16, “Strong
as Autumn blows”, line 17, “Warm as the summer”, line 18. By comparing the woman to
nature, the writer emphasizes to the audience how important this woman is to him, as,
she is being compared to the seasons, which play a major role in the existence of the
earth. This in turn, amplifies the love he has for this lady.