Shyanne Miles

B. Vogt

AP Lit

8 October 2010

“Love Poem” by John Frederick Nims TPCASTT

TITLE / The title leads the reader to believe love will be a theme within the poem. The title of the poem suggests that the poem will be romantic and about a relationship.
PARAPHRASE / The author’s wife if very clumsy. She breaks many things, such as vases, glasses, and china. She is always at the wrong place at the wrong time or just generally ungraceful. She shows her true grace and ease when helping people that other people could not usually help. She is steady and cunning when helping the homeless and the drunk. She will be scared of distant car but will jump in front of one to help someone. The author’s beloved shows her grace through her words, her people, and her love. The world would be a different place if she were not there.
CONNOTATION / The poem shows the love the author has for his beloved. He describes how she is clumsy and unlucky with normal things. Destructive and not gentle in many aspects, but she has a sweet gentle way of dealing with words, people, and love. She has a big heart and is capable of overcoming her usual clumsiness. The author uses detail and imagery to create a clear mental image of his wife and of her nature.
ATTITUDE / The attitude of the author is very sweet and sincere. The author’s attitude shows his admiration for his significant other. He can appreciate her faults because of her sweet nature.
SHIFTS / The poem shifted from almost joking his dearest to telling of her extreme grace and easy with people in need.
TITLE / The title is an indicator as to what the poem will be about. The poem portrays the authors admiration for his wife and her extremely outstanding nature to help and heal.
THEME / The overall theme for the poem was love shown through adoration.

My clumsiest dear, whose hands shipwreck vases,

At whose quick touch all glasses chip and ring,

Whose palms are bulls in china, burs in linen,

And have no cunning with any soft thing

Except all ill-at-ease fidgeting people:

The refugee uncertain at the door

You make at home; deftly you steady

The drunk clambering on his undulant floor.

Unpredictable dear, the taxi drivers' terror,

Shrinking from far headlights pale as a dime

Yet leaping before apopleptic streetcars—

Misfit in any space. And never on time.

A wrench in clocks and the solar system. Only

With words and people and love you move at ease;

In traffic of wit expertly maneuver

And keep us, all devotion, at your knees.

Forgetting your coffee spreading on our flannel,

Your lipstick grinning on our coat,

So gaily in love's unbreakable heaven

Our souls on glory of spilt bourbon float.

Be with me, darling, early and late. Smash glasses—

I will study wry music for your sake.

For should your hands drop white and empty

All the toys of the world would break.