Poetry about relationships ending
June 7, 2017 8:04 AM Subscribe
Inspired by the recent thread about wedding readings, and Stephen Dunn's "Each from different heights" can you suggest any non religious poetry about relationships ending?
Links to previous threads also appreciated - I searched and couldn't find any.
Links to previous threads also appreciated - I searched and couldn't find any.
Oh, when I was in love with you, by A. E. Housman
posted by ubiquity at 8:18 AM on June 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by ubiquity at 8:18 AM on June 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
For the other side of the marriage Jack Gilbert describes, I recommend "Asking for Directions" by Linda Gregg. (These two are the king and queen of this genre.)
posted by rabbitbookworm at 8:44 AM on June 7, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by rabbitbookworm at 8:44 AM on June 7, 2017 [5 favorites]
Since There's No Help, Come Let Us Kiss and Part, Michael Drayton
posted by Jane the Brown at 8:46 AM on June 7, 2017
posted by Jane the Brown at 8:46 AM on June 7, 2017
Oh, and Sharon Olds' "Past Future Imperfect."
posted by rabbitbookworm at 9:01 AM on June 7, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by rabbitbookworm at 9:01 AM on June 7, 2017 [2 favorites]
The Lovingkindness Survival Kit (archive link; original page is defunct) by Suzette Haden Elgin (RIP) has a piece called "Separation" that might fit. Also the one called "Consolation".
posted by Lexica at 10:44 AM on June 7, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by Lexica at 10:44 AM on June 7, 2017 [3 favorites]
Wendy Cope's 'Loss':
The day he moved out was terrible -posted by Catseye at 11:46 AM on June 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
That evening she went through hell.
His absence wasn’t a problem
But the corkscrew had gone as well.
Joseph Brodsky's "Six Years Later."
Marina Tsvetaeva's very long "Poem of the End." You'll need to get a book to read a full English translation; I recommend Nina Kossman's or David McDuff's, not Elaine Feinstein's (which is actually more of a paraphrase). Here is the Russian in case you can read it.
posted by Perodicticus potto at 1:14 PM on June 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
Marina Tsvetaeva's very long "Poem of the End." You'll need to get a book to read a full English translation; I recommend Nina Kossman's or David McDuff's, not Elaine Feinstein's (which is actually more of a paraphrase). Here is the Russian in case you can read it.
posted by Perodicticus potto at 1:14 PM on June 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
One of my favorites is "One Art" by Elizabeth Bishop (which might be better known by its first line: "The art of losing isn't hard to master").
Here's a good previous AskMe thread: What are your favorite poems about the end of a relationship? (which includes "One Art" as well as Gilbert's "Failing and Flying" mentioned above).
posted by rangefinder 1.4 at 1:27 PM on June 7, 2017
Here's a good previous AskMe thread: What are your favorite poems about the end of a relationship? (which includes "One Art" as well as Gilbert's "Failing and Flying" mentioned above).
posted by rangefinder 1.4 at 1:27 PM on June 7, 2017
Another previous thread: poetry recommendations for the broken-hearted
posted by bethnull at 9:08 PM on June 7, 2017
posted by bethnull at 9:08 PM on June 7, 2017
"You Haven't Texted Since Saturday" by Michael Robbins.
posted by old_growler at 9:25 PM on June 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by old_growler at 9:25 PM on June 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: These are perfect, thank you all.
posted by limoncello at 11:48 PM on June 7, 2017
posted by limoncello at 11:48 PM on June 7, 2017
breakup jams! omg i have trained all my life for this question.
(For transparency: most of these are self-links to a poem-a-day blog that two friends and I contribute to.
I'm interpreting the prompt broadly. I know not all of these poems are "about" romantic relationships ending per se, at least on a narrative level; a couple of them might be about death, or grief, or friendship, or life after love, etc.)
Mindy Nettifee - All I Have to Say for Myself
Ted Kooser - The Witness
Mary Oliver - In Blackwater Woods
William Stafford - Purifying the Language of the Tribe
Susan B. A. Somers-Willett - Matter and Void
Robert Hass - Variations on a Passage in Edward Abbey
Marie Howe - What the Living Do
Kay Ryan - Still Start
Ada Limón - The Conditional
Warsan Shire - For Women Who Are 'Difficult' to Love
Brynn Saito - The Palace of Contemplating Departure
Sandra Lim - Aubade
Jane Hirshfield - For What Binds Us
(I'll also second "Washing The Elephant", as thrungva is one of the few real loves-of-my-life. 💑📚)
posted by omnomnOMINOUS at 8:57 AM on June 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
(For transparency: most of these are self-links to a poem-a-day blog that two friends and I contribute to.
I'm interpreting the prompt broadly. I know not all of these poems are "about" romantic relationships ending per se, at least on a narrative level; a couple of them might be about death, or grief, or friendship, or life after love, etc.)
Mindy Nettifee - All I Have to Say for Myself
Ted Kooser - The Witness
Mary Oliver - In Blackwater Woods
William Stafford - Purifying the Language of the Tribe
Susan B. A. Somers-Willett - Matter and Void
Robert Hass - Variations on a Passage in Edward Abbey
Marie Howe - What the Living Do
Kay Ryan - Still Start
Ada Limón - The Conditional
Warsan Shire - For Women Who Are 'Difficult' to Love
Brynn Saito - The Palace of Contemplating Departure
Sandra Lim - Aubade
Jane Hirshfield - For What Binds Us
(I'll also second "Washing The Elephant", as thrungva is one of the few real loves-of-my-life. 💑📚)
posted by omnomnOMINOUS at 8:57 AM on June 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
Antilamentation by Dorianne Laux
Frida Kahlo to Marty McConnell by Marty McConnell
Nothing by James Fenton
all via the wonderful (MeFi's own? not sure) Captain Awkward, from her recent post of Songs for the Dumped. (Note: these poems are not about being dumped.)
(Thank you for asking this - I had not read any of these three and I thought they were all amazing, so thank you for introducing me to them.)
posted by kristi at 1:42 PM on June 10, 2017
Frida Kahlo to Marty McConnell by Marty McConnell
Nothing by James Fenton
all via the wonderful (MeFi's own? not sure) Captain Awkward, from her recent post of Songs for the Dumped. (Note: these poems are not about being dumped.)
(Thank you for asking this - I had not read any of these three and I thought they were all amazing, so thank you for introducing me to them.)
posted by kristi at 1:42 PM on June 10, 2017
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posted by FencingGal at 8:07 AM on June 7, 2017 [1 favorite]