The Passionate Poet to His Love by James Agee: The poem and Analysis

Also Read

 (toc) #title= (Table of Content)

The poem

Come live with me and be my love

Provided you think little of

Such stodge encumbrances as friends

Who keep their means for their own ends;

Granted we mutually agree

That yours was never a mother's knee,

Or, if the spiteful slime should bud,

Will nip the foetus while its' mud;

Provided you can smoothly be

Wife, mother or nonentity

As metamorphic moods require;

Provided, also, you admire

Nor ever dare to criticize

Each syllable that I devise,

And shall apprise me (though I know it)

Of my majority as a poet,

And, like four angels each with sword

Will guard the Inception of the Word - 

If such persuasions aught can move,

Then live with me and be my love.

The Analysis 

"The Passionate Poet to His Love" by James Agee is a satirical and somewhat cynical take on the traditional theme of love poetry. The poem is written from the perspective of a poet who is inviting someone to live with him and be his love, but with a twist.

The poem begins with the poet inviting the object of his affection to live with him, but he immediately sets conditions that reveal his self-centered and controlling nature. He asks that the person think little of friendships that are not purely self-serving and that they agree that their own upbringing was lacking in maternal care or love.

The poet then goes on to ask for the person to be adaptable to his needs, whether as a wife, mother, or someone who simply fades into the background as needed. He also requests that the person never criticize his poetry and always praise his work, even if they know it to be lacking in quality.

The poem concludes with the poet asking for the person to be like "four angels each with sword" guarding the "Inception of the Word," which can be interpreted as a metaphor for protecting his creative process and his ego.

Overall, "The Passionate Poet to His Love" is a satirical commentary on the often self-absorbed and demanding nature of artists and poets. Through its exaggerated and humorous tone, the poem highlights the absurdity of romantic ideals and the often unrealistic expectations placed on others in the name of love.