Dovina28 Jan 2005

Interesting! A line drawn in the Poemranker sand. A supposition about marriage labeled as “woman.” Do you mean that a woman is incapable of commitment to the degree presented in the poem, and a man is? Perhaps you think only a man is that strong or that foolish. Maybe you mean that what I am really saying is that I want this kind of commitment from the man I marry, and that no woman can expect that.

You understand the supposition of the narrator, that he or she is not promising, but thinking about promises. When we say, “til death do us part” and “for better or worse,” how different is that from the promises considered in the poem?

No, I think your line is drawn in less sensible sand. They usually are when living is at stake. I’m guessing that some of my lines have dredged up a woman’s meanness. For that I apologize on behalf of the sex for all the times we have demanded promises from our men, when it’s not his promises that make us happy, but his surprises.

Please return here at the Dear Dovina column as often as you wish.