My favourite leisure-time activity has always been reading. My long appreciation for reading stories kindled an interest in my soul to begin creating my own stories. I love to write poems the most. June is a poem I began to compose a year ago, but could never finish until today considering it is still an upsetting time for me. A few years ago when I was eighteen I fell in love for the first time. This fellow and I spent a wholly amount of time together. We walked together in the park a few times a week and he would create paintings of me as gifts. We talked about getting married and moving out of the city where we could raise children on a farm together. Except, that all changed last March when he informed me that he was moving away. We tried to pursue the relationship at a distance. From April to May we wrote to each other amply. In June, I decided to travel to him; however, his job required much of his time and I only witnessed his presence three times during my stay. I never suspected those would be the last three times I would ever see him in my life. After that trip, the letters became less frequent and we slowly started to progress our lives separately. I have never been more heartbroken and somber in my life. It has been a year and I have still not heard from him. Every day I wake up to a new sunny day, but every day I wake up and think of him. He was supposed to be the love of my life. He was the first and last man I have ever loved. I have met other men like Lord Watergate, but nothing feels the same as the first. I am fearful that I will never meet someone like him again.
Editoral Commentary: After the conclusion of reading Gertrude’s verse composition, I can see why it holds a place in her heart. It seems Gertrude bottles up her inner thoughts for a year and finally allows for her true feelings to manifest in the form of a poem. The tone of the poem is retrospective, calling attention to her past, and the last stanza of the poem states, “only this change — I will not look upon your face again” (11-12). This excerpt expresses the tone of reminiscing not in pain, but in peace with her past self. From the dictation in the poem, Gertrude expresses that she loves deeply and has a big heart to offer to others. She noticeably loved this man wholeheartedly and this compassion parallels her relationship with her family as well. This poem sprouts from reservations of accepting love from another person. Lord Watergate, whom Gertrude is afraid to love, displays romantic gestures in hope of claiming her heart, but she will not give in. From the emotions she expresses about this man, it seems she is afraid of falling in love again. She is worried she will never be as happy as she once was. Women are very emotional beings, so heartbreak is never easy on them. Some tend to bottle it up to hide from the pain while others deal with it right then. This poem exemplified her attempt of letting go of the past heartbreaks. Now, she is becoming more independent by taking care of her family, limiting the head space available to ponder him.
Citation:
Levy, Amy. “June.” All Poetry, https://allpoetry.com/poem/8474445-June-by-Amy-Levy. Accessed 10 Nov. 2020