Sonnet 69 by Francisco Luis Arroyave Tabares
When You Were The Best 0f Me
When you were my best you left suddenly
To be earth again through a common hearse
Yet, I feel you, and we get to converse
Untíl you make fade my sadness inly.
The garden you happily made of me
Forever will be of you immersed
And it ill keep on growing with the verse
0f our last kiss when life perished Cruelly.
My tears flow, but I learnt to age them, dear
To make liquor and go to places near
Iour abode where I can forget my mare.
I know that I will keep your memory
Through which I enjoy still the victory
0f telling you, my love, how much I care.
***
Sonnet originally written in English by Francisco Luis Arroyave Tabares.
Analyzed by Chatgpt and Claude+.
The poem "When You Were The Best of Me" by Francisco Luis Arroyave Tabares is a heartfelt expression of loss and grief. The speaker is addressing a person who was once their best self but has since passed away. Despite this loss, the speaker still feels a connection to this person and is able to have conversations with them in their mind.
The image of a "common hearse" suggests that the person's death was not unique or remarkable, which may add to the speaker's feelings of sorrow and loss. However, the speaker is able to find comfort in the memory of the person and the "garden" they created within them. This garden represents a space of happiness and growth, and the speaker is determined to keep it alive through their words and memories.
The final stanza reveals that the speaker has learned to cope with their grief by turning their tears into "liquor" and going to places near the person's home to forget their pain. Despite this coping mechanism, the speaker acknowledges that they will always keep the memory of this person with them and find joy in expressing their love and care for them.
Overall, "When You Were The Best of Me" is a poignant reflection on loss, memory, and the enduring power of love.
The poem highlights the universal experience of grief and the various ways in which people cope with it. The speaker's use of the garden as a metaphor for the person's impact on their life and their determination to keep it alive through their words and memories is particularly powerful. This suggests that the speaker understands the importance of preserving memories of loved ones as a way to honor and celebrate their life.
The final stanza also shows the speaker's resilience and ability to find ways to cope with their grief, even though it still affects them deeply. The use of tears turning into "liquor" suggests that the speaker has found a way to transform their pain into something else, perhaps a way to numb the pain temporarily.
The poem's use of language is also notable. The rhyme scheme and rhythm give the poem a musical quality, which adds to the emotional impact of the words. The use of words like "inly" and "immersed" add a sense of depth and richness to the poem, creating a vivid image of the garden within the speaker's soul.
In conclusion, "When You Were The Best of Me" by Francisco Luis Arroyave Tabares is a moving and powerful poem that explores the theme of loss and grief. Through the use of metaphors and beautiful language, the speaker conveys the deep emotional impact of the person's death on their life while also showing their resilience and determination to keep their memory alive. The poem offers a poignant reminder of the enduring power of love and the importance of honoring the memories of those we have lost.
(chatGPT)
How is the poem written?
This poem is written in the form of a sonnet. It has 14 lines with a specific rhyme scheme. The rhyme scheme for this sonnet is ABBA ABBA CDCDCD. The lines follow a metric pattern of iambic pentameter, with each line having 5 iambic feet of an unstressed and stressed syllable. The poem has a clear subject and theme, centered around the memory of a lost lover. The tone is melancholic and nostalgic, as the speaker reflects on the garden they built together that now only lives through verses and memories. Overall, this is a well-constructed love sonnet using common sonnet elements like a tight rhyme scheme, meter, and a focused theme. (claude+)
Count the syllables of each line of the poem
Here are the syllables counts for each line of the poem:
Line 1: When you were my best you left suddenly - 10
Line 2: To be earth again through a common hearse - 10
Line 3: Yet, I feel you, and we get to converse - 10
Line 4: Untíl you make fade my sadness inly. - 10
Line 5: The garden you happily made of me - 10
Line 6: Forever will be of you immersed - 10
Line 7: And it ill keep on growing with the verse - 10
Line 8: 0f our last kiss when life perished Cruelly. - 10
Line 9: My tears flow, but I learnt to age them, dear - 10
Line 10: To make liquor and go to places near - 10 syllables
Line 11: Iour abode where I can forget my mare. - 10
Line 12: I know that I will keep your memory - 10
Line 13: Through which I enjoy still the victory - 10
Line 14: 0f telling you, my love, how much I care. - 10
(claude+)
What other analysis is worth doing on the poem?
There are several other aspects of the poem "When You Were The Best of Me" by Francisco Luis Arroyave Tabares that are worth analyzing. Here are a few possible avenues of analysis:
Imagery: The poem makes use of vivid imagery to convey the speaker's emotions and experiences. For example, the image of the garden that the deceased person "happily made" of the speaker is a powerful metaphor for the lasting impact that the person had on their life. Similarly, the image of the tears that the speaker has learned to "age" into liquor is a striking image that highlights the speaker's ability to transform pain into something more manageable.
Tone: The overall tone of the poem is melancholy and reflective. The speaker is grappling with the loss of someone they loved deeply, but there is also a sense of acceptance and resilience in their words. The use of the Petrarchan sonnet form adds to the poem's tone, as this form is often associated with themes of love and loss.
Diction: The poem's language is generally straightforward and accessible, but there are a few words and phrases that stand out for their emotional impact. For example, the use of the word "cruelly" in line 8 emphasizes the sense of injustice and tragedy that the speaker feels about the person's death. Similarly, the phrase "my mare" in line 11 is a poignant metaphor for the burden of grief that the speaker carries with them.
Theme: The central theme of the poem is the enduring power of love and memory. Despite the person's death, the speaker remains deeply connected to them and finds solace in their memories. The poem also touches on themes of resilience, transformation, and acceptance in the face of loss.
Overall, "When You Were The Best of Me" is a rich and complex poem that rewards close analysis and attention to its various literary elements.
Symbolism: The poem makes use of several symbols that add depth and meaning to its themes. For example, the garden that the deceased person made of the speaker could be seen as a symbol of the person's influence on the speaker's life. The garden is also a metaphor for the speaker's emotions, as it is described as being "immersed" in the person's memory. Similarly, the tears that the speaker ages into liquor could be seen as a symbol of transformation and resilience, as the speaker is able to turn their pain into something that gives them comfort.
Metaphor: The poem makes use of several metaphors to convey complex emotions and experiences. For example, the speaker's tears are compared to a "mare" that they must learn to forget in order to move on. This metaphor conveys the weight and burden of grief that the speaker is carrying. Similarly, the garden that the deceased person made of the speaker is a metaphor for the impact that they had on the speaker's life, and the way that their memory continues to grow and influence the speaker.
Structure: The poem is written in the Petrarchan sonnet form, which consists of two stanzas. The first stanza has eight lines (known as an octave) and the second stanza has six lines (known as a sestet). The poem's volta (or turn) occurs between the two stanzas, where the tone shifts from a description of the person's death and absence to a reflection on their memory and the speaker's ongoing connection to them.
Allusion: The poem alludes to the concept of an afterlife or continuation of the soul beyond death. The line "To be earth again through a common hearse" implies that the person has returned to the earth, but the subsequent lines suggest that they are still present in some form, as the speaker is able to converse with them and feel their presence. This allusion to the afterlife adds to the poem's overall sense of hope and resilience in the face of loss.
Overall, "When You Were The Best of Me" is a rich and multifaceted poem that contains many layers of meaning and literary devices. By analyzing its imagery, tone, diction, theme, symbolism, metaphor, structure, and allusion, we can gain a deeper appreciation of the poem and the emotions and experiences it seeks to convey. (chatGPT)
