Gertrude: As I wrote this poem I thought about the small things in life that can give us the most joy and the most meaning. Spending time with my family has always been very important to me. Although we do not have a lot, we do have each day which we are able to enjoy in the simplest of ways, which was expressed in A Game of Lawn Tennis. My favorite part is the second to last stanza with the contrast between the gentle description of the flowers, and the frantic energetic discussion of the game and “losing the set!” Through this stanza you are truly able to see energy I wanted to capture for this poem. I think all this time taking photos has affected the way I describe images in my writing. I tried to include many details and imagery so one could see what I was writing about, like if I had just shown them a picture or image from my mind instead. I think this added element to my writing skills is what helped me achieve my goal of getting my work published. As a female author it takes a great deal of effort to start a successful career in writing, but hopefully this piece will prove that I am capable of the challenge of writing in a man’s world. Even though my family and work makes me very happy, I do often dream of someone special which was expressed in this poem. I wanted to convey in my poem how that one special person is always lingering in your mind, appearing when you least expect it. Despite being content with my life, I often find myself thinking of Lord Watergate and wondering what he is doing. We have not spoken in quite a while, and I have realized that I find myself thinking of him often, even when other things are going on in my life. The bittersweetness I feel of enjoying life but longing for someone came across very clearly in my writing.
Editorial Commentary: This poem from the 1800s gives us a great sight into what it was like to be a woman during this time period. A Game of Lawn Tennis was written in 1888, a time where some women were starting to explore a life outside the home and join the workforce. Gertrude in this poem represents a combination of the “old woman” and the “modern woman”. The “old woman” refers to a girl who is focused on more traditional ideals such as finding a husband and starting a family. She wants to fit into society’s expectations of being proper and well-behaved. The “modern woman” however, follows her own desires and ignores what society wants from her. A Game of Lawn Tennis represents Gertrude’s feelings of being torn between these two worlds. In the final stanza of her poem she mentioned how she is still “dreaming of you”, a potential suitor that Gertrude misses. Despite missing this man, Gertrude does not add anything about contacting him or planning to. This was a very common ritual between men and women in the Victorian Era. Although Gertrude is interested in someone, she has to remain proper and lady-like at all times. Women during the Victorian Era could not make the first move when it came to courtship. It was viewed as improper and desperate to make advances on a man, so like the poem says all women could do was wait and dream of that special person.
Citation: Smith, J. Johnson. “Amy Levy: Three Poems.” Poetryparc, 20 July 2020, www.poetryparc.wordpress.com/2020/07/25/amy-levy-three-poems/.