In this emotional Sestina, Amber uses the form to milk new meaning out of the end words: “night”, “singing”, “gone”, “hand”, “us”, and “just”. The event, which begins in the title “Gone”, is a painful combination between love and hate after the beloved “you” has gone. I am very impressed by the surprises and building effect this form has on the content. For example the contrast between the “singing” of a lonely sparrow in one instance, the “singing” of the proverbial choirs and later angels in another two, and the “singing” of the heart and the soul in still others.
The only curious effect of the form is the insertion of some very radical breaks in tone. Again, I believe that conflicting emotions of love and hate are both possible after the loss of the beloved, and I am perfectly fine with characterizing one of the directions of emotion as hate. However, much of the poem maintains a conflicted and melancholy tone, yet there are some instances of pretty violent images like the “crimson blood drips down the fingers of my hand.” I was a little thrown by that line. What, after all, happened on the “sorrowful night”?
I really enjoy the ring of truth in the line “conflicted by longing for the caress of your hand” which I believe sums up the message of the poem very well. I also want to restate that I believe the end word choices are strong and helped to carry this Sestina along its course.
Great Work! Thanks Amber!
Isabel
Wednesdays 4pm