True Love

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1985

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Summary

Background

Poem Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Form and Meter

While Robert Penn Warren did compose many poems in rhyme and meter, this poem is composed in free verse, which means it does not follow any rhythmical pattern or rhyme scheme. While the text is formed in tercets—stanzas of three lines each—there are no other formal conventions present. It does not appear to have a clear purpose for following this form, though one might argue that the irregular vocal structures of the poem reflect the uncertainties and transitory circumstances of life that the poem depicts.

Oxymoron

“True Love” contains two examples of oxymoron: a statement that contradicts itself. The first is “In silence the heart raves. It utters words / Meaningless, that never had / A meaning” (Lines 1-3). This statement contradicts itself because the act of raving involves sound and cannot be silent. Also, words are sounds with meaning, so it is not possible to utter “Meaningless” words. The second example is, “I thought I would wake up dead” (Line 15). This statement is contradictory because if one wakes up, then one is alive and not dead. Instead of conveying nonsense, these oxymorons demonstrate the inexpressibility of love and highlight the extent of the boy’s feelings.

Non Sequitur

A non sequitur is a statement that does not logically follow the previous one. “True Love” contains two examples of a non sequitur. In the first, the speaker tells of the young woman’s father who isolates himself, saying, “He never came down. They brought everything up to him” (Line 22). Then immediately following, the speaker says, “I did not know what a mortgage was” (Line 23). The relation of what a mortgage is to the father’s isolation is unclear; nevertheless, we can surmise a connection. Because of the father’s alcohol use disorder and isolation, it appears that he does not leave the house, work, and earn money. The mortgage, then, is for the purpose of raising money (the purpose of which is unclear at that point in the poem, but it is later revealed it is for the young woman’s wedding). Using a non sequitur draws attention to the statement, prompting readers to ponder what those circumstances are; the readers become active participants in discovering the meaning of the poem rather than passive observers.

The second example of a non sequitur comes when the speaker relates how the family dissolves after the woman’s wedding and the mortgage foreclosure: “She never came back. The family / Sort of drifted off” (Lines 32-33). However, the ensuing sentence is “Nobody wears shiny boots like that now” (Line 33). Boots do not have anything to do with this juncture of the narrative—indeed, they are not indicated in any way before this point. The statement serves as both a concrete and a poignant inference of the passage and irrevocability of time. Posing such a statement as a non sequitur draws attention to itself and gives it greater overall weight in the poem.