Article - through the eyes of a poet
 

THROUGH THE EYES OF A POET : sonnet 16 deconstructed
The magic of poetry is it should open doors for others to ‘see’, the wonder of poetry is that once opened the reader may ‘see’ something different through those doors compared to that seen by the author. There can be no right or wrong interpretation, only whether you see or not.


Sonnet 16
That walk with you with hand clasped in hand,
when all within sight was tinged in pink
our shadows kissed on the yielding sand
and the sun bowed and blushed to think
himself unworthy upon you to gaze
so just above the water he edged
shielding our complete in warm twilight haze,
as on us to always shine he pledged.
And to each other love we did confide,
sea water grabs, claiming the moment’s mark,
with the ebb and flow of a jealous tide,
slipping away into the growing dark.
And we’d kissed goodbye on the yielding sand
my last walk with you, hand clasped in hand.

The poem is written from the perspective of a man recalling the final meeting with the one he loved, on a beach at sunset, when he finds out she doesn’t feel the same.

'That walk with you with hand clasped in hand,
when all within sight was tinged in pink'

The word ‘clasped’ could convey either intensity of feeling or insecurity ? The answer lies in the many layers of the next line. Pink is associated with a more nurturing, feminine love as opposed to red’s passionate valentine, pink is red + white, white being purity. So there is a love from her but not the kind he wants or feels, and even that only adds a tinge, it doesn’t blanket or colour.

'our shadows kissed on the yielding sand'

Their shadows are their past, when things were different, the very sand now sinks beneath their feet as does hope of love.


'sun bowed and blushed to think
himself unworthy upon you to gaze
so just above the water he edged
shielding our complete in warm twilight haze,
as on us to always shine he pledged'

Here, he hoped by telling her of his love under a dramatic sunset, she would admit her feelings and see it was fate. Of course it’s a setting sun !

'And to each other love we did confide,
sea water grabs, claiming the moment’s mark,
with the ebb and flow of a jealous tide,
slipping away into the growing dark.'

She finally tells him her love is of a different sort and walks away, their footprints, where this took place claimed by the sea, removed from sight. And in his crushed heart he’s briefly glad there’s no trace, and wonders if there’s someone else, hence the tide is jealous.

'And we’d kissed goodbye on the yielding sand
'my last walk with you, hand clasped in hand'.

He remembers one final kiss.

Nigel, I have known this poem I am about to write since I was a young teenager. As soon as I read this below it came to me, well, it doesn't have to come to me, I have long remembered it. It is seared in my mind. I'm sure you will agree, there are many similarities;

The sea was rough, the wind was high
For clouds we could not see the sky

Yet still we walked across the sand
Just remembering hand in hand

But this was it, the end was near
I swiftly brushed away a tear

I would not cry nor let him see
How much he really meant to me.

Thank you for this Pamela, it does have a similar vibe .

Do you know the poet, title ?

Sadly no, it's just a poem that has stuck with me since my late teens, I'm now in my 50's... nor I confess do I have any reason why it has stuck with me all these years, and yet it has.