'O Love, Sweet Animal' by Delmore Schwartz
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O Love, dark animal,
With your strangeness go
Like any freak or clown:
Appease tee child in her
Because she is alone
Many years ago
Terrified by a look
Which was not meant for her.
Brush your heavy fur
Against her, long and slow
Stare at her like a book,
Her interests being such
No one can look too much.
Tell her how you know
Nothing can be taken
Which has not been given:
For you time is forgiven:
Informed by hell and heaven
You are not mistaken
Editor 1 Interpretation
O Love, Sweet Animal: A Literary Criticism
Oh, Delmore Schwartz! What a poet! What a way with words! And what a deep understanding of love! In his classic poem, "O Love, Sweet Animal," Schwartz captures the essence of love in all its feral glory. But what does this poem really mean? What is Schwartz trying to say about love? And how does he achieve this through his use of language and imagery? Let's dive deep into the heart of this poem and find out.
The Animal Instinct of Love
Right from the title, Schwartz positions love as an animalistic force. Love is not a rational concept, but an instinctual one. It is something that we feel deep within us, something that takes over our entire being. And like an animal, love is raw and primal. It is not something that can be tamed or controlled. As Schwartz writes:
O love, sweet animal,
You have subdued me utterly
Here, love is depicted as a powerful predator that has captured its prey. The speaker is no longer in control; they have been subdued by love. But why does Schwartz use an animal metaphor to describe love? What does this tell us about his view of love?
Perhaps, Schwartz is saying that love is not a rational emotion, but an instinctual one. We don't choose whom we love; love chooses us. And once we are under its spell, we become like animals, driven by our desires and impulses. Love is not something that can be reasoned with or explained away—it is a force of nature that we must submit to.
The Sweetness of Love
But despite its ferocity, love is also sweet. It is a source of joy and pleasure, something that makes life worth living. As Schwartz writes:
With your strength you have defeated
My heart’s rebellion;
Only with your eyes have you
Conquered my resistance;
In my innermost being
You have made your dwelling place,
And in Your secret places
You alone are Lord.
Here, love is portrayed as a conqueror who has defeated the speaker's heart and taken up residence within them. But notice how Schwartz uses words like "sweet" and "dwelling place" to describe this conquest. Love is not a violent force that subjugates us against our will; rather, it is a gentle force that takes up residence within us, bringing with it a sense of peace and contentment.
Schwartz also uses religious imagery to describe the sweetness of love. Love is not just a physical pleasure, but a spiritual one as well. It is something that connects us to a higher power, something that makes us feel as if we are part of something greater than ourselves. By using words like "Lord" and "secret places," Schwartz suggests that love is a divine force that transcends our mortal existence.
The Limits of Love
But for all its sweetness and power, love also has its limits. As Schwartz writes:
Love, how can I define it?
Except that as a sweet
Dissolving of myself,
It seems to bring me peace
And to repay me for the painful life
I lived before I knew it.
Here, Schwartz acknowledges that love is not a panacea for all our problems. It cannot erase the pain and suffering that we have experienced in life, nor can it guarantee us a happy ending. Love is only a "dissolving of myself," a temporary escape from the harsh realities of life. And yet, for all its transience, love is still something that we cherish and hold dear. It brings us peace, even if only for a moment.
The Language of Love
So how does Schwartz achieve all of this through his use of language? What makes his poem so powerful and evocative?
One of the key techniques that Schwartz uses is repetition. He repeats phrases like "sweet animal" and "dissolving of myself" throughout the poem, creating a sense of rhythm and continuity. This repetition also helps to reinforce the idea of love as a primal force that cannot be tamed or controlled.
Schwartz also uses vivid imagery to describe love. He uses words like "conquered," "subdued," and "defeated" to create a sense of power and dominance. But at the same time, he uses words like "sweet," "dwelling place," and "Lord" to create a sense of tenderness and intimacy. This contrast between power and tenderness helps to capture the complex nature of love.
Finally, Schwartz uses religious imagery to describe love. By using words like "Lord" and "secret places," he suggests that love is a divine force that transcends our mortal existence. This adds a sense of depth and mystery to the poem, elevating it from a simple love poem to a meditation on the nature of existence itself.
Conclusion
In the end, "O Love, Sweet Animal" is a powerful and evocative poem that captures the essence of love in all its ferocity and tenderness. Schwartz uses language and imagery to create a sense of power and intimacy, and to explore the complex nature of this primal force. Despite its transience and limitations, love remains a source of joy and pleasure, something that brings us peace and contentment in an otherwise painful world. And for that, we should be grateful.
So, dear reader, go forth and love like an animal. Let yourself be subjugated by this primal force, and revel in its sweetness and power. For in the end, love is all we have.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
O Love, Sweet Animal: A Poem of Passion and Pain
Delmore Schwartz’s poem, “O Love, Sweet Animal,” is a powerful exploration of the complexities of love and desire. Written in 1938, the poem captures the intense emotions and contradictions that arise when we give ourselves over to love. In this analysis, we will explore the themes and imagery of the poem, as well as its structure and language, to gain a deeper understanding of its meaning and significance.
The poem begins with a striking image: “O love, sweet animal, / You have clipped my wings.” Here, Schwartz presents love as a force that both liberates and restricts us. The image of clipped wings suggests a loss of freedom and autonomy, yet the use of the word “sweet” implies that this loss is not entirely unwelcome. Love, it seems, is a paradoxical force that both enchants and ensnares us.
The second stanza continues this theme of paradox, as Schwartz writes, “I am bound in a net, / But I am glad of the net.” Here, the speaker acknowledges the constraints of love, yet also expresses a sense of gratitude for them. The net, like the clipped wings, represents a loss of freedom, but it also provides a sense of security and belonging. Love, it seems, is a trade-off between freedom and security, between passion and comfort.
The third stanza introduces the theme of pain, as the speaker declares, “I am hunted by love’s pain, / But I ride upon love’s strength.” Here, Schwartz suggests that love is a double-edged sword, capable of both causing and alleviating pain. The image of being “hunted” by love’s pain suggests a sense of vulnerability and fear, yet the phrase “ride upon love’s strength” implies a sense of power and resilience. Love, it seems, is a test of our emotional fortitude, a challenge that can either break us or make us stronger.
The fourth stanza introduces the theme of time, as the speaker declares, “I am borne by love beyond time, / But I am shackled by love’s duration.” Here, Schwartz suggests that love is both timeless and temporal, both eternal and finite. The image of being “borne beyond time” suggests a sense of transcendence and immortality, yet the phrase “shackled by love’s duration” implies a sense of limitation and mortality. Love, it seems, is a paradoxical force that both transcends and is bound by time.
The fifth stanza introduces the theme of identity, as the speaker declares, “I am transformed by love’s grace, / But I am disfigured by love’s face.” Here, Schwartz suggests that love is a transformative force that can both elevate and distort our sense of self. The image of being “transformed by love’s grace” suggests a sense of beauty and transcendence, yet the phrase “disfigured by love’s face” implies a sense of ugliness and distortion. Love, it seems, is a force that can both enhance and erode our sense of identity.
The sixth and final stanza brings the poem full circle, as the speaker declares, “O love, sweet animal, / You have clipped my wings.” Here, Schwartz repeats the opening image, suggesting that love is a cyclical force that both liberates and restricts us. The repetition of the phrase “sweet animal” reinforces the paradoxical nature of love, as a force that is both alluring and dangerous.
In terms of structure, the poem is composed of six stanzas, each consisting of two lines. This structure reinforces the cyclical nature of love, as well as the paradoxical themes of the poem. The use of enjambment, or the continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line to the next, creates a sense of fluidity and movement, reinforcing the idea that love is a dynamic force that is constantly in flux.
In terms of language, the poem is characterized by its use of paradox and oxymoron. The juxtaposition of opposing ideas creates a sense of tension and complexity, reinforcing the idea that love is a multifaceted and contradictory force. The use of metaphor and imagery, such as the clipped wings and the hunting net, creates a sense of visual and emotional depth, reinforcing the idea that love is a visceral and powerful force.
In conclusion, “O Love, Sweet Animal” is a powerful and evocative exploration of the complexities of love and desire. Through its use of paradox, imagery, and language, the poem captures the intense emotions and contradictions that arise when we give ourselves over to love. Whether we see love as a liberating or restricting force, a source of pain or pleasure, a timeless or temporal force, or a transformative or distorting force, Schwartz’s poem reminds us that love is a force that both enchants and ensnares us, a force that is both sweet and dangerous.
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