Last month, our theme Independence in Love won your hearts. We are jubilant that you all adored and appreciated our theme. It has inspired us to explore more and deliver such unique themes and content to you. Today, we bring you a poem ‘I LOVE YOU’ by Ella Wheeler Wilcox under the reigns of 15 days of fabulous poetry.
The poem I LOVE YOU is a simple poem yet it is intriguing. It is so stunning that we felt compelled to introduce it to our readers. Before we take a sneak peek of the poem, here’s a little something about Ella Wheeler Wilcox.
More about Ella Wheeler Wilcox:
The beauty fluttered open her eyes on the 5th of November 1850 for the first time. She was an amazing author and poet. Her childhood was spent reading books and newspapers which had a huge impact on her style of writing. When passion strikes, age is just a number. Ella composed her first poem around the age of eight years and at merely thirteen, her poem got published. Unfortunately, she lost the copy of her work and was unable to trace it.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox was blessed with talent and was remarkable at penning down poems of passion. By the time she graduated high school, the poems she composed made her renowned in her own state. She was very empathetic. Her empathy gave her the inspiration to compose Solitude, a poem that is celebrated by many people. She set her official foot in the world of literature on the 25 February 1883. This was when “The way of the World”, her first poem, was published.
A year later, Ella Wheeler married Robert Wilcox. The couple was happily married for about 30 years before her spouse took a trip to heaven and parted ways with her. She was crestfallen with his demise. The dark clouds of sorrow had hindered every source of light and hope in her life.
The poetess put up a brave upfront and battled cancer. On the 30th of October 1919, she lost her battle and succumbed to the claws of deep sleep. A sleep from which she never woke up. To know more about Ella Wheeler Wilcox, take a peek into her autobiography, “The Words and I, ” which was published a year before she passed away. Her work I LOVE YOU is renowned and without any further ado let us read the mesmerizing poem.
I Love You
I love your lips when they’re wet with wine
And red with a wild desire;
I love your eyes when the lovelight lies
Lit with a passionate fire.
I love your arms when the warm white flesh
Touches mine in a fond embrace;
I love your hair when the strands enmesh
Your kisses against my face.
Not for me the cold, calm kiss
Of a virgin’s bloodless love;
Not for me the saint’s white bliss,
Nor the heart of a spotless dove.
But give me the love that so freely gives
And laughs at the whole world’s blame,
With your body so young and warm in my arms,
It sets my poor heart aflame.
So kiss me sweet with your warm wet mouth,
Still fragrant with ruby wine,
And say with a fervor born of the South
That your body and soul are mine.
Clasp me close in your warm young arms,
While the pale stars shine above,
And we’ll live our whole young lives away
In the joys of a living love.
Our analysis of I Love You:
The poem composed by Ella Wheeler Wilcox is astounding. The person for whom she is expressing her passion is anonymous. Thus, we can safely conclude that she has deliberately picked this style of writing. It gives to the readers goosebumps given the intensity of the poem. We are sure that many can relate to it better.
The poet brings her imagination to life as she subtly mentions the features of her lover. The wetness of lips with red wine and eyes lit with a passionate fire, might drive some of the readers crazy with its boldness. The warm embrace of her lover, the entangled hair strands and the kisses had us gushing with cuteness.
The poet is far done from the lack of passion. Her soul does not desire the calm kiss, the virgin’s love, the bliss, or the dove’s heart. These no longer captivate her attention. She wants an experience that is beyond the materialistic world and a passion that can be felt to the soul. Her heart yearns for the freedom, for the passion that can make her feel the warmth.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox wishes that her lover is devoted to her not just by body but also by his mind and soul. She wants her own happily ever after. Ella, in her poem I LOVE YOU prefers to be in the soothing yet passionate embrace of her lover. The starlit sky calls to her and she wants to spend joyous days of youth with her lover, feeling, and living in passion.
Our thoughts on I Love You:
Stunning, isn’t it? The poem leaves us lost for words. The poem I LOVE YOU is very lucid yet it has such a deep underlying meaning to it. The number of words might be less, but it conveys the emotions seamlessly. The poem is meticulously crafted and the appropriate spice of passion is something we absolutely appreciate. Ella Wheeler Wilcox has made vivid use of imagery. The lines portray untamed emotions and enchanting actions.
It seems like the poetess has freed herself from all inhibitions of society. She wants to experience a love that is passionate and toe-curling, without any worry of the world. We cherish this piece of treasure. Our thoughts would be incomplete without the brief mention of the courage that Ella Wheeler Wilcox possessed. It needs valour to present such bold work in an era where passion was not expressed so strongly. We value the fact that this poem depicts passion and sensuality yet has managed to retain the decorum. We stand in awe of it!
While we adore this poem, we would like to point out certain things we wish could have been different. The poem I LOVE YOU mentions the terms white flesh and young arms. Though it is an extraordinary work, we are skeptical of the fact that it only mentions white. Love and passion are beyond any race and creed. We hope that the poem too might have supported the idea of inclusivity.
Also, the term young does not settle well with us. Passion can be rekindled at any age, and age is just a number right? The love and passion that two individuals feel, the sparks that fly in the air, and the warm jitters are timeless and will never age.
We felt ecstatic to present you this gem of a work I LOVE YOU by Ella Wheeler Wilcox. With this month, we are all geared up to surprise you all with some newfangled poems and unique updates! Join us in this fun-filled journey by subscribing to lovesmitten.com. Let us know your thoughts in the come hunts down below. Hit the like button if you enjoyed this post.