William’s poem, ‘How Much Do I Love You’ is told in the perspective of a young man, in this narrative he names off the multiple times he has made sacrifices for his …show more content…
Williams uses formal/modern language, such as short forms of preexisting words like, keg/beer instead of beverages. The poem mixes words that are considered “old” fashioned such as darling and cripes. The use of “outdated” words may be due to this poem paying tribute to it’s source material, Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s, “How Do I Love Thee?” Michelle William’s begins this poem by questioning the reader, ‘How Much Do I Love You?.’ this is a rhetorical question drawing attention to the answer which is then assumed by the reader.. The idea of over-bearing sacrifices and compromises play a major part in this poem as the poet lists off different examples such as cancelling ‘footy’ for a birthday dinner. This gives the reader a taste of how far this young man will go for his relationship. At the end of each stanza he reassures his dedication by proclaiming, ‘I was happy to do that for you.’ This stanza in general is mainly a setup for the questions that will be answered in the next two stanza’s. Before stanza two there is is a short pause as he asks, ‘how else?’ which is a question directed towards his girlfriend, this question helps transition to stanza …show more content…
Love can be a complicated emotion that is difficult to understand, through the use of different types of relationships these contemporary poets have represented love effectively. ‘To My Daughter’ gives a tender look at parental love, as the father desperately attempts to reconnect with his alcoholic daughter, while slowly also coming to grips with the guilt of it being his fault. With the poem sounding so personal, the reader can really feel the love and care he has for his daughter, while understanding the non existent love the daughter has towards the father. In contrast, ‘How Much Do I Love You,’ the reader is exposed to a much different love, one that is much more toxic for both people in the relationship. This poem demonstrates the effects of ‘clingy’ relationships, an individual that showers their significant other with tiny acts of love and endearment. However, in the process, tend to oversaturate their partners lives by demanding all of their time and attempting to fill the majority of their space. These two poems both share similarities of love that have good intentions but due to it’s toxic like qualities, these relationships in the poems are potential types of love you might experience in your life without realising it. These poets have responded to the theme of love in an appropriate manner, positioning the audience to reflect on love and it’s