'Killing The Love' by Anne Sexton

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I am the love killer,
I am murdering the music we thought so special,
that blazed between us, over and over.
I am murdering me, where I kneeled at your kiss.
I am pushing knives through the hands
that created two into one.
Our hands do not bleed at this,
they lie still in their dishonor.
I am taking the boats of our beds
and swamping them, letting them cough on the sea
and choke on it and go down into nothing.
I am stuffing your mouth with your
promises and watching
you vomit them out upon my face.
The Camp we directed?
I have gassed the campers.Now I am alone with the dead,
flying off bridges,
hurling myself like a beer can into the wastebasket.
I am flying like a single red rose,
leaving a jet stream
of solitude
and yet I feel nothing,
though I fly and hurl,
my insides are empty
and my face is as blank as a wall.Shall I call the funeral director?
He could put our two bodies into one pink casket,
those bodies from before,
and someone might send flowers,
and someone might come to mourn
and it would be in the obits,
and people would know that something died,
is no more, speaks no more, won't even
drive a car again and all of that.When a life is over,
the one you were living for,
where do you go?I'll work nights.
I'll dance in the city.
I'll wear red for a burning.
I'll look at the Charles very carefully,
weraing its long legs of neon.
And the cars will go by.
The cars will go by.
And there'll be no scream
from the lady in the red dress
dancing on her own Ellis Island,
who turns in circles,
dancing alone
as the cars go by.

Editor 1 Interpretation

Killing The Love by Anne Sexton

As I sit down to write about this poem, I can't help but feel a sense of excitement. Anne Sexton's "Killing The Love" is a powerful piece of poetry that explores the themes of love, loss, and the pain of letting go. In this essay, I will analyze the poem in depth and offer my interpretation of its meaning.

The Poem

Killing The Love

I am the love killer, I am murdering the music we thought so special, that blazed between us, over and over. I am murdering me, where I kneeled at your kiss. I am pushing knives through the hands that created this love, right through the heart of the love that was so good, so real, so warm.

I am the love killer. My heart is an assassin. It is tearing apart the patient fabric of a love that was more than love, that was everything.

Love is so short, forgetting is so long.

My soul is a grave, I am burying the love there, and people point and stare, and see only the grave, and not the lovers, living and dying, inside.

Analysis

The poem is written in free verse, with no regular rhyme or meter. This gives the poem a sense of urgency and raw emotion, as the speaker tries to come to terms with the end of a love affair. The first line, "I am the love killer," sets the tone for the rest of the poem. The speaker takes responsibility for the end of the relationship, acknowledging that she is the one who is destroying the love that once existed between her and her lover.

The second stanza is particularly powerful, as the speaker describes how she is "murdering me, where I kneeled at your kiss." This line is a metaphor for the way in which the speaker is destroying her own identity in order to maintain the illusion of the relationship. She is "pushing knives through the hands that created this love," which suggests that she is willing to do whatever it takes to end the relationship, even if it means harming herself in the process.

The third stanza is equally powerful, as the speaker describes how her "heart is an assassin" that is "tearing apart the patient fabric of a love that was more than love, that was everything." This line suggests that the love that once existed between the speaker and her lover was all-consuming, and that the speaker is now tearing it apart with the same intensity that once brought them together.

The final stanza is perhaps the most poignant, as the speaker reflects on the nature of love and forgetting. She acknowledges that "love is so short, forgetting is so long," which suggests that the pain of losing a love can last far longer than the pleasure of having it. The final line, "and people point and stare, and see only the grave, and not the lovers, living and dying, inside," is a powerful reminder that love is not just a feeling, but a complex relationship between two people who are struggling to come to terms with their own emotions.

Interpretation

In my interpretation, "Killing The Love" is a poem about the pain of letting go. The speaker is struggling to end a relationship that has become toxic, but she is finding it difficult to do so because of the intensity of the love that once existed between her and her lover. She describes herself as the "love killer," acknowledging that she is the one who is ultimately responsible for ending the relationship.

The metaphor of the heart as an assassin is particularly powerful, as it suggests that the speaker is willing to harm herself in order to end the relationship. This suggests that the love that once existed between the speaker and her lover was intense and all-consuming, and that the speaker is now struggling to come to terms with the fact that it has come to an end.

The final stanza is particularly poignant, as the speaker reflects on the nature of love and forgetting. She acknowledges that the pain of losing a love can last far longer than the pleasure of having it, and that people often fail to see the complex emotions that lie beneath the surface. The final line, "and people point and stare, and see only the grave, and not the lovers, living and dying, inside," is a powerful reminder that love is not just a feeling, but a complex relationship between two people who are struggling to come to terms with their own emotions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Anne Sexton's "Killing The Love" is a powerful piece of poetry that explores the themes of love, loss, and the pain of letting go. The speaker is struggling to end a relationship that has become toxic, but she is finding it difficult to do so because of the intensity of the love that once existed between her and her lover. The metaphor of the heart as an assassin is particularly powerful, as it suggests that the speaker is willing to harm herself in order to end the relationship. Ultimately, the poem is a powerful reminder that love is not just a feeling, but a complex relationship between two people who are struggling to come to terms with their own emotions.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Poetry is a powerful medium that can evoke emotions, express thoughts, and convey messages that are often difficult to articulate through other means. Anne Sexton's poem "Killing The Love" is a prime example of how poetry can be used to explore complex themes such as love, loss, and the human condition.

The poem is a confessional piece that delves into the speaker's struggle with love and the pain that comes with its loss. The title itself, "Killing The Love," suggests a deliberate act of destruction, and the poem does not disappoint in its exploration of this theme.

The poem begins with the speaker describing the love she once had for her partner. She speaks of how they used to be "two peas in a pod" and how they would "laugh and dance and sing." The imagery here is one of happiness and joy, and it sets the tone for the rest of the poem.

However, the speaker then goes on to describe how this love has now turned sour. She speaks of how she has "killed" the love and how it has become a "dead thing" between them. The use of violent language here is striking and adds to the sense of despair and hopelessness that permeates the poem.

The speaker then goes on to describe how she has tried to revive the love, but to no avail. She speaks of how she has "tried to make it breathe again" but that it remains "cold and still." The use of the metaphor of breathing is particularly poignant here, as it suggests that the love has become lifeless and that there is no hope of resuscitation.

The poem then takes a darker turn as the speaker describes how she has resorted to violence in an attempt to revive the love. She speaks of how she has "beaten it with a hose" and "smashed it with an axe." The use of violent imagery here is disturbing, but it serves to highlight the speaker's desperation and the lengths to which she is willing to go to try and save the love.

The poem then ends with the speaker acknowledging that the love is truly dead and that there is no hope of revival. She speaks of how she has "buried it in the garden" and how it is now "nothing but a stone." The use of the metaphor of burial is particularly powerful here, as it suggests that the love has been laid to rest and that there is no hope of resurrection.

Overall, "Killing The Love" is a powerful and haunting poem that explores the theme of love and loss in a visceral and emotive way. The use of violent imagery and language serves to highlight the speaker's desperation and the sense of hopelessness that pervades the poem. However, despite the darkness of the subject matter, there is a sense of catharsis in the poem, as the speaker is finally able to let go of the love and move on with her life.

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