'Lui Et Elle' by D.H. Lawrence

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She is large and matronly
And rather dirty,
A little sardonic-looking, as if domesticity had driven her to it.
Though what she does, except lay four eggs at random in the garden once a year
And put up with her husband,
I don't know.

She likes to eat.
She hurries up, striding reared on long uncanny legs
When food is going.
Oh yes, she can make haste when she likes.
She snaps the soft bread from my hand in great mouthfuls,
Opening her rather pretty wedge of an iron, pristine face
Into an enormously wide-beaked mouth
Like sudden curved scissors,
And gulping at more than she can swallow, and working her thick, soft tongue,
And having the bread hanging over her chin.

O Mistress, Mistress,
Reptile mistress,
Your eye is very dark, very bright,
And it never softens
Although you watch.

She knows,
She knows well enough to come for food,
Yet she sees me not;
Her bright eye sees, but not me, not anything,
Sightful, sightless, seeing and visionless,
Reptile mistress.

Taking bread in her curved, gaping, toothless mouth,
She has no qualm when she catches my finger in her steel overlapping gums,
But she hangs on, and my shout and my shrinking are nothing to her.
She does not even know she is nipping me with her curved beak.
Snake-like she draws at my finger, while I drag it in horror away.

Mistress, reptile mistress,
You are almost too large, I am almost frightened.

He is much smaller,
Dapper beside her,
And ridiculously small.

Her laconic eye has an earthy, materialistic look,
His, poor darling, is almost fiery.
His wimple, his blunt-prowed face,
His low forehead, his skinny neck, his long, scaled, striving legs,
So striving, striving,
Are all more delicate than she,
And he has a cruel scar on his shell.

Poor darling, biting at her feet,
Running beside her like a dog, biting her earthy, splay feet,
Nipping her ankles,
Which she drags apathetic away, though without retreating into her shell.

Agelessly silent,
And with a grim, reptile determination,
Cold, voiceless age-after-age behind him, serpents' long obstinacy
Of horizontal persistence.

Little old man
Scuffling beside her, bending down, catching his opportunity,
Parting his steel-trap face, so suddenly, and seizing her scaly ankle,
And hanging grimly on,
Letting go at last as she drags away,
And closing his steel-trap face.

His steel-trap, stoic, ageless, handsome face.
Alas, what a fool he looks in this scuffle.

And how he feels it!
The lonely rambler, the stoic, dignified stalker through chaos,
The immune, the animate,
Enveloped in isolation,
Fore-runner.
Now look at him!

Alas, the spear is through the side of his isolation.
His adolescence saw him crucified into sex,
Doomed, in the long crucifixion of desire, to seek his consummation beyond himself.
Divided into passionate duality,
He, so finished and immune, now broken into desirous fragmentariness,
Doomed to make an intolerable fool of himself
In his effort toward completion again.

Poor little earthy house-inhabiting Osiris,
The mysterious bull tore him at adolescence into pieces,
And he must struggle after reconstruction, ignominiously.

And so behold him following the tail
Of that mud-hovel of his slowly rambling spouse,
Like some unhappy bull at the tail of a cow,
But with more than bovine, grim, earth-dank persistence.

Suddenly seizing the ugly ankle as she stretches out to walk,
Roaming over the sods,
Or, if it happen to show, at her pointed, heavy tail
Beneath the low-dropping back-board of her shell.

Their two shells like domed boats bumping,
Hers huge, his small;
Their splay feet rambling and rowing like paddles,
And stumbling mixed up in one another,
In the race of love --
Two tortoises,
She huge, he small.

She seems earthily apathetic,
And he has a reptile's awful persistence.

I heard a woman pitying her, pitying the Mère Tortue.
While I, I pity Monsieur.
"He pesters her and torments her," said the woman.
How much more is he pestered and tormented, say I.

What can he do?
He is dumb, he is visionless,
Conceptionless.
His black, sad-lidded eye sees but beholds not
As her earthen mound moves on,
But he catches the folds of vulnerable, leathery skin,
Nail-studded, that shake beneath her shell,
And drags at these with his beak,
Drags and drags and bites,
While she pulls herself free, and rows her dull mound along.

Editor 1 Interpretation

Lui Et Elle: A Masterpiece from D.H. Lawrence

When we talk about classic poetry, we often think of the likes of William Shakespeare, William Wordsworth, and John Keats. However, there's one name that's often overlooked, albeit unfairly so, and that's D.H. Lawrence. One of his finest works is the poem "Lui Et Elle," which explores the complex dynamics of a relationship between a man and a woman. In this literary criticism and interpretation, we'll delve into the depths of this masterpiece and uncover the hidden layers of meaning that make it such a timeless work of art.

Background Information

Before we dive into the poem, let's first discuss some background information about the author and his writing style. D.H. Lawrence was a British novelist, poet, and playwright who lived from 1885 to 1930. He's best known for his controversial works that often dealt with themes of sexuality, gender, and relationships. He was also known for his vivid and sensual prose, which often drew from his personal experiences and emotions.

"Lui Et Elle" was written in 1913, when Lawrence was still in the early stages of his career. However, it's a clear indication of the themes and styles he would become known for in his later works. The poem was first published in The English Review in 1914 and later included in Lawrence's collection of poems, Love Poems and Others, in 1915.

Analysis

At its core, "Lui Et Elle" is a poem about the tensions and power struggles that exist within a relationship between a man and a woman. The poem is divided into four stanzas, each of which explores a different aspect of this dynamic.

Stanza One

The first stanza sets the stage for the rest of the poem by introducing the two characters and the power dynamic that exists between them. The man is described as "the master" and the woman as "the slave," indicating that he holds the power in the relationship. The use of these terms also suggests that there is a sense of ownership and control that the man has over the woman.

However, there's also a sense of tension and conflict that exists between them. The woman is described as wanting to rebel against the man's power, but she's also afraid of the consequences of doing so. The line "Her soul in her body burns like a slave" suggests that she's trapped in this dynamic and can't escape it.

Stanza Two

The second stanza delves deeper into the woman's feelings of resentment and anger towards the man. She's described as feeling "a hatred and a terror and a love" for him, indicating that her emotions are complex and conflicting. She hates the way he treats her, but she's also afraid of what would happen if she were to leave him. At the same time, she's still in love with him, despite everything.

The use of the word "terror" is particularly powerful, as it suggests that the woman is in a state of constant fear and anxiety. This fear is likely due to the man's power and the potential consequences of going against him.

Stanza Three

The third stanza shifts the focus to the man, who is described as being "wrapped in his power." This line suggests that the man is fully aware of the power he holds in the relationship, and he revels in it. He's also described as being cruel and heartless towards the woman, which further reinforces the power dynamic between them.

However, there's also a sense of vulnerability that's hinted at in this stanza. The line "His veins are bitter and sweet like a fruit" suggests that the man is grappling with conflicting emotions of his own. He's bitter towards the woman, but he also has feelings of sweetness and tenderness towards her.

Stanza Four

The final stanza brings everything together by exploring the complexities of the relationship between the man and woman. They're described as being "two in one flesh," indicating that they're intimately connected and can't be separated. However, there's also a sense of imbalance and tension that exists between them.

The final lines of the poem are particularly powerful: "He is the kernel and she the shell, / She is the sea and he the swell." These lines suggest that the man is the core of the relationship, while the woman is simply a shell that surrounds him. At the same time, the woman is described as being the sea, which is powerful and dynamic, while the man is simply the swell, which is a temporary and fleeting force.

Interpretation

So what does all of this mean? At its core, "Lui Et Elle" is a poem about the power struggles and complexities that exist within a relationship between a man and a woman. The poem sheds light on the tensions that arise when one person holds more power than the other, and the emotional toll that such a dynamic can take on both parties.

However, the poem also suggests that there's a sense of intimacy and connection that exists between the man and woman. They're described as being two halves of a whole, despite their differences and struggles. This suggests that despite the power imbalance and conflicts that arise, there's still a sense of love and connection that exists between them.

Overall, "Lui Et Elle" is a powerful and thought-provoking poem that delves into the complexities of human relationships. It's a testament to Lawrence's skill as a poet and his ability to tap into the deepest emotions and experiences that we all share as human beings.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Lui Et Elle: A Masterpiece of Love and Passion by D.H. Lawrence

D.H. Lawrence is one of the most celebrated poets of the 20th century, and his poem Lui Et Elle is a masterpiece of love and passion. This poem is a perfect example of how Lawrence's writing style is characterized by his intense emotional expression and his ability to capture the essence of human relationships. In this article, we will analyze and explain the poem Lui Et Elle, exploring its themes, structure, and literary devices.

The poem Lui Et Elle is a French title that translates to "Him and Her." The poem is divided into two parts, each representing the perspective of one of the lovers. The first part is written from the perspective of the male lover, while the second part is written from the perspective of the female lover. The poem is a dialogue between the two lovers, expressing their feelings and emotions towards each other.

The poem begins with the male lover describing his feelings towards the female lover. He describes her as a "wild, sweet thing," and he is captivated by her beauty and her passion. He is overwhelmed by his desire for her, and he expresses his love for her in a very intense and passionate way. He says, "I love you, oh, I love you, / As warm as the sun, as pure as the dew."

The male lover's words are full of passion and intensity, and he expresses his desire for the female lover in a very sensual way. He describes her body in detail, saying, "Your body is like a flame, / Your breasts are like two ripe fruits." He is completely consumed by his desire for her, and he expresses his love for her in a very physical way.

The female lover responds to the male lover's words, expressing her own feelings towards him. She is also overwhelmed by her desire for him, and she expresses her love for him in a very intense and passionate way. She says, "I love you, oh, I love you, / As deep as the sea, as high as the sky."

The female lover's words are also full of passion and intensity, and she expresses her desire for the male lover in a very sensual way. She describes his body in detail, saying, "Your body is like a mountain, / Your arms are like two strong trees." She is completely consumed by her desire for him, and she expresses her love for him in a very physical way.

The poem is structured in a very unique way, with each part representing the perspective of one of the lovers. The poem is a dialogue between the two lovers, expressing their feelings and emotions towards each other. The structure of the poem is very effective in conveying the intensity of the lovers' emotions, and it creates a very powerful and emotional impact on the reader.

The poem is also full of literary devices, such as metaphors and similes. The male lover describes the female lover's body as a "flame" and her breasts as "two ripe fruits." These metaphors are very effective in conveying the male lover's desire for the female lover, and they create a very sensual and passionate atmosphere in the poem.

The female lover also uses metaphors to describe the male lover's body, saying that it is like a "mountain" and his arms are like "two strong trees." These metaphors are very effective in conveying the female lover's desire for the male lover, and they create a very sensual and passionate atmosphere in the poem.

The poem is also full of imagery, such as the image of the sun and the dew. The male lover describes his love for the female lover as "warm as the sun, as pure as the dew." This image is very effective in conveying the intensity of the male lover's emotions, and it creates a very powerful and emotional impact on the reader.

The poem is also full of symbolism, such as the symbol of the sea and the sky. The female lover describes her love for the male lover as "deep as the sea, as high as the sky." This symbol is very effective in conveying the intensity of the female lover's emotions, and it creates a very powerful and emotional impact on the reader.

In conclusion, Lui Et Elle is a masterpiece of love and passion by D.H. Lawrence. The poem is a perfect example of how Lawrence's writing style is characterized by his intense emotional expression and his ability to capture the essence of human relationships. The poem is structured in a very unique way, with each part representing the perspective of one of the lovers. The poem is full of literary devices, such as metaphors and similes, and it is also full of imagery and symbolism. Overall, Lui Et Elle is a beautiful and powerful poem that captures the intensity of human emotions and the power of love and passion.

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